


Fires and Dragons: Den Mum's Guide to Oneshots

by DenMoother



Category: Fireman Sam (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, M/M, firemansamfanfiction, oneshots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-12 15:41:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 26
Words: 32,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28637949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DenMoother/pseuds/DenMoother
Summary: This contains story ideas and small story arches that I have that may end up being full on stories or just some ideas that have been rejected.This deals with more plotline based stories versus ships. If you came to see two characters getting it on, may have to wait my friend.If Fireman Sam and fanfiction about him is your cup of tea, then sit by the Hearth. Stay a while.
Relationships: BenXPenny, MalcolmxOc





	1. A Lesser Known Secret

**Author's Note:**

> This was made as a palette cleanser to compilations of Oneshots I've seen. I only hope the fandom enjoys

***Minecraft Death Noises***

**Disclaimer before reading:**

**-Mild Homophobia  
**

**-Mild Blood/gore warning**

**If you can't stand either of these topics then why are you reading? Click out of the tab.  
**

Winter made the bandages around his chest nice and tight to hide his breasts. Winter was born as a hermaphrodite. As he got older, he found it rather hard to hide his female side. Winter felt ashamed of his body. There wasn't a day that didn't go by where he didn't endure constant bullying from Norman. Winter slid off his bed. He pulled on his work uniform. His gaze never left the mirror. _Freak._ came a voice in the back of his head. 

_Your only lying to yourself. You know Malcolm will never love you._ Winter saddened. He splashed cold water on his face to snap him out of his funk. He then headed out of the bathroom. 

Dilys was in the process of cooking breakfast. "Good morning dear. I hope your hungry."

The smell of food immediately caused Winter to perk up. He cracked a weak grin. "I'm always hungry." He sat down in one of the dining room chairs. 

Dilys chuckled. "That's true. Well, it's nearly done. Just give me a few more seconds." 

Winter silently looked out the window. His hand rubbed his chest sorely. _I wish I didn't have to hide these._ He thought sadly. _It already bugs me that I get stared at for being different. I'm starting to wonder if I'll be accepted. Malcolm and Rose were so kind in letting me join the Police Force. I really owe those two a lot.  
_

Dilys notice that Winter was lost in thought. "Is something the matter, dear?" she asked. 

"Sort of. You know how I was born differently?" questioned Winter. 

"Yeah. I remember you telling me that. Oh Winter, is this about your condition?" 

Winter laid his head down on the table. "I had a run in with Norman yesterday. He reminded me that no one could possibly love me if they knew what a vile creature I was.." 

Dilys walked over to him. She placed a hand on the back of his neck. "I think whoever you fall in love with will love you no matter what you are. Girl, boy, or both. I think they'll love you simply for just being you." 

He looked up at her. "You really think so?"

"I know so. Chin up. Your still you no matter what gender you decide to show." 

Relief flashed across his face. "Okay." He sat upright again. Dilys went back into the kitchen. Winter looked back out the window. _Then I'll tell him. It couldn't hurt...right?  
_

Winter tucked into breakfast. He cleared his plate before grabbing his cap. He gave his mom a kiss on the cheek. "I'll be back." 

"Take care." 

Winter headed towards the police station. He tucked his hands into his pocket. The city streets were mostly clear. Winter thought about how he was going to tell Malcolm. He walked into the police station. Malcolm was in the process of filing some loose documents. He looked up. Winter felt his body grow warm as soon as he made eye contact. Malcolm grinned. "Morning Winter." 

"Morning Malcolm." greeted Winter. His heart pounded. This was the man he wanted to confess his feelings to. "Listen, there's something I need to tell you. I understand if you don't have time for this now. I can wait until later."

Malcolm shrugged. "it's been a rather slow morning." 

Winter swallowed back a harsh lump. He touched two of his fingers together. He shifted from side to side. "I've been feeling a certain way about a certain someone the past week. He doesn't leave my mind no matter how hard I try." 

Malcolm folded his arms over his chest. He smirked slightly. "Let me guess, you need advice on how to tell him?" 

"Sort of. Just...let's say if I was holding onto a secret and told him...would he love me the same way?" asked Winter. There was a bit of pain in his voice. 

Malcolm frowned. "Well they would have to be an idiot if they didn't love you for you, first of all. However, that would depend on the secret." 

"Let's just say that I was born different from the others. I mean, I know my half-blood heritage already gives me trouble. There's already something else that makes me...a freak." whispered Winter. 

Malcolm could see how distressed Winter looked. He placed a hand on his shoulder. "Look, just tell them how you feel." 

Winter sniffed. He held onto Malcolm. Malcolm patted the top of his head gently. "I have feelings for you but you wouldn't accept me if I was-" 

The Map Screen 7000 began to go off. _**Crime alert. Break in at the Morris Residence. Criminal seen fleeing on foot.  
**_

Malcolm let go of Winter. "We'll talk later. Right now, we've got a criminal to catch." 

Winter nodded. He wiped his eyes. He followed Malcolm out to the garage. Malcolm climbed into the police car with Winter. They then took off away from the police station. 

The duo arrived at Penny's house. Ben was waiting for them outside. It looked like he got jumped in the process. The front door had been kicked in forcefully by something. Malcolm approached him. "Right. What happened here?" 

"Penny and I were just kind of hanging out at her house when this guy came in. He was wielding a weapon of some sort. I managed to beat him up badly but he fled before I could detain him." explained Ben. 

"Do you know which direction the suspect took off in?" asked Winter. 

"Yeah. They fled North towards PontyPandy Mountain." 

Malcolm nodded. "Right. Winter, we'll need your nose once we get there."

"Rodger that, PC Williams." 

The two of them hopped back into their police car. Ben waved at them as they pulled out of the driveway. Winter felt really uneasy. "Why would somebody want to attack Penny? I mean she seems so nice." 

"Dunno. I suspect that it could be an ex or maybe just some un-sub that's decided to strike terror in PontyPandy. I guess we'll find out once we question them." 

Winter kept his gaze out the window. The duo soon arrived near PontyPandy Mountain. Winter stepped out of the car. He could already smell blood close by. The suspect was hiding from them at this point. "I can smell them. They're close." 

Malcolm nodded. He took his taser off his belt. "Keep a close eye out." 

Winter began tracking the Un-Sub down. He spotted foot prints in the mud. He bent down to examine them. The prints smelled heavily of bleach and other cleaning supplies. It irritated the inside of Winter's nose. He grimaced. His ears went back in disgust. He got on the radio. "Officer Price to PC Williams. Footprints spotted heading in a Northeast direction. Smells heavily of bleach and other cleaning formulas. Approach with caution." 

Winter heard Malcolm shuffling with somebody on the radio. Winter growled. He headed back towards the police car. He spotted Malcolm a few feet away being attacked by a man with dark brown hair. Winter felt something in him snap. He tossed himself at the man. 

Malcolm felt the weight shift off him. He sat up to see Winter and their Un-sub fighting each other. Winter left some nasty claw marks on the man's face with his nail. The Un-Sub reached for something on his belt. He slashed Winter across the side of his throat with it. 

"No!" Malcolm tackled the man to the ground again. He then quickly wrapped the man's arms behind his back. He slapped his handcuffs on him. He looked over at Winter. Winter laid on his side holding his neck wound. He was struggling to breathe. 

Malcolm glared at the Un-Sub. "Your under arrest for assault of a police officer and coastguard as any other charges your dumb ass managed to get today." He yanked the man onto his feet. He walked him over to the police car before shoving him in. 

Winter gasped quietly. He felt somebody turn him over. Malcolm began putting pressure on Winter's wound. "Hang in there. I'm getting you help." 

Winter opened his mouth only to cough up blood. Tears formed in the boy's eyes. Malcolm stroked his hair. Malcolm grabbed his radio. He was trying his best to stay calm. "Malcolm to Helen. Can you hear me?" 

_Reading you very loud and clear, Malcolm. Go ahead.  
_

"I need medical assistance on PontyPandy Mountain. I've got an officer down. He's bleeding from a knife wound to the right side of his neck." 

_Rodger that. On my way. Out.  
_

Malcolm continued to stroke Winter's hair all while keeping pressure on his wound. "Mal..Malcolm..." rasped Winter. 

"Shh, save your strength. Don't try to talk." 

"I..I need to tell you something...It's about earlier...I'm...I'm in love with you..." gasped out Winter. That was the last thing Winter said before his world went black. 

"..."

"........."

"He'll be okay. Won't he, sis?" 

Helen had finished fixing Winter's wound. The poor kid had blacked out from blood loss on the way to Helen's house. Helen covered Winter's stitching up with a bandage. "He'll be fine. The knife missed anything vital. He'll just have a nasty scar there for a while. I've given him some morphine to help with the pain." 

Malcolm let out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad. He was bleeding so much that I thought he..." 

Helen hugged her little brother tightly. "Well he's a very stubborn Canis, I'll give him that much. However I think his blood may have issues clotting. Just keep him out of harm's way." 

"I will." 

Malcolm knelt by Winter on the couch. Helen went off to do something in the kitchen. Malcolm stroked Winter's hair. _So Winter does have feelings for me....I knew it. I wish I could tell him I felt the same._ thought Malcolm. 

Winter stirred lightly on the couch. His green eyes blinked open steadily. "Am..am I dead? Cause you look like an angel." he cooed tiredly. 

Malcolm chuckled. "Your not dead. I can tell you that much. Just super drugged up at the moment." 

"What sort of stuff did your sister decide would be fun to put in me?" grumbled Winter. 

"She gave you morphine. Figured you may wake up in pain from the knife wound on your neck." 

Winter went bug eyed. "You mean to tell me some smuck hit me with a knife?" 

"Yep." 

"Did you at least shoot your taser at him?" 

"More like tackled him to the ground and slapped my cuffs on him."

Winter smirked. "Ooh kinky~" 

Malcolm shook his head. "Helen, how many milligrams of morphine did you give him?" 

"about two-hundred milligrams. Why?"

"His pupils are the size of dinner plates and he's already being cocky."

"You would too if you woke up with the power to fight god." muttered Winter. 

Malcolm sighed. He heard Helen laughing from the kitchen. "Whoops. Maybe I should of done fifty instead." 

Malcolm looked back at Winter. "Winter, there's something I have to tell you." 

Winter focused his gaze on Malcolm the best he could. "I have feelings for you too. Just a little ashamed to admit it because I wasn't sure if you would feel the same way." said Malcolm. "I want you to know that no matter what secrets you have, I'll work through it together with you." 

Winter perked up. "Really?"

"You have my word." 

Winter felt the hard lump from earlier form in his throat. "I...I'm a Hermaphrodite. I've been afraid to really show both sides of me. Norman made me feel like a freak so I've felt the need to hide." 

Malcolm wrapped his arms around Winter's shoulders. "You aren't a freak. Let me deal with Norman the next time he teases you. I just want you to know that you will always be Winter no matter what gender you feel like being."

Winter began to tear up. He buried his face in his boyfriend's chest. 

**I really hope you guys enjoyed this first story. This first story was made up from a thought that I had. I also wanted to show another side to Winter that's never been seen before. Do let me know what you guys think. You can leave a suggestion for a plot. I may get to it. I may not.  
**

**At this time, I am not doing ships. I figure that's been done to death already. I want to focus on actual plots. I may just do this just to ease the wait time that you guys are having to experience with Comatose.  
**

**Remember! You may not use any of these stories in your AUs without first messaging me!**

**Read/Review/Vote**

**S**


	2. And The Dust Clears

Sam could see Joe's batteries shaking on the ground. They were glowing a rather bright green color. He quickly snatched them up. "I need to get these away from PontyPandy now!" He looked behind him at the Ocean Rescue Center. 

"What are you planning, Sam?" asked Penny worriedly. 

Sam began running towards the Ocean Rescue Center. "Sam! Where are you going?!" shouted Penny. Her voice fell on deaf ears. 

Sam quickly hopped onto Juno. He clenched the two batteries close to his chest. He took off out of the ORC. 

Penny heard the sound of an engine being revved. She ran over to quay to see Sam speeding away on Juno. Joe stood by her. They looked at each other worriedly. 

Polonium smiled slightly to herself. She took out a small cylindrical object out of her pocket. She twisted the tip of it. A small green LED light began flashing on it. She watched as Sam got closer to the horizon. _Let's give these morons a show. I wonder how rich it'll be when their precious hero-next-door dies a rather tragic fate._ She pressed the button at the tip of it. 

Sam felt the batteries get scalding hot suddenly. He got ready to chuck them in the water when suddenly the batteries exploded. "SAM!" shouted Charlie. He put his hands close to the sides of his head in disbelief. 

"No." he heard Bronwyn whimper. 

He could hear the other townsfolk shouting for Sam as well. The smoke began settling. A few more moments had passed but there was no sign of his brother. 

The firefighters all scrambled into the Ocean Rescue Center. Their hearts in their throats at the thought of Sam being dead. Penny and Elvis climbed aboard Neptune. Penny quickly pushed them off. She gunned the engine once they reached the bottom. Tom flew overhead on his helicopter. Penny could feel her heart pounding. _Please be okay. Please be okay._ She begged. 

Sam stared up at the water above him. Dark red mist began to gather on top of it. His body was badly burned from the blast. His vision steadily burned in and out. _At least my team and the others are safe. I can rest now knowing they'll have bright futures._ He closed his eyes. He stopped holding his breath. 

Tom spotted glowing green flames off in the distance. "Tom to Penny. I've spotted flames just three miles Northwest. Over."

_Rodger that, Tom. Can you fly closer and see if you can spot either Sam or Juno?  
_

"Sure thing. Out." 

Tom flew closer to the wreckage. He could see bits and pieces of Juno in the water. He also spotted blood growing on the surface of the water. He got on the radio again. "I think I know where Sam is. Just head to my location and look for a really large blood puddle. Out." 

Penny and the crew arrived on scene. She spotted the blood puddle that Tom was talking about. All the color drained from her face. She struggled to change into her scuba gear. She looked at Elvis. Elvis gave her the "okay" to dive. She dove backwards into the water. 

Penny searched the ocean floor for Sam. She spotted a shape laying on top of some rocks at the bottom. Her eyes widened when she realized it was Sam. She quickly grabbed him and swam him back up to the surface. 

Penny's head broke through the surface of the water. She shouted for Elvis to help her. Elvis lifted Sam onto Neptune. He checked Sam's neck for a pulse. He pulled his hand back. Elvis went pale as well. He bowed his head. 

Penny knelt by Sam. She brushed a strand of hair out of his face. She kept from crying. She stood up. She went over to Neptune's controls. She got on the radio. "Penny to Station Officer Steele."

 _Go ahead, Penn_ y.  
  
"we found Sam but he didn't make it. Body is badly burned. Looks like he lost a lot of blood too. Over."

She got absolute silence on the radio for a few moments. Steele finally spoke again. 

_R-Rodger that, Penny. Meet you in the Ocean Rescue Center. Out.  
_

Penny and the crew headed back to the coast. Penny could see the worried crowd of people all waiting by the quay. She didn't know how to tell her friends that their beloved Fireman had suffered a nasty fate at sea. She moored Neptune at the Ocean Rescue Center before helping to carry Sam over to one of the tables that Helen had set up. 

The color drained from the medic's face when she saw Sam. "Oh Sam..." 

Penny kept her head down. Ben placed a loving hand on her backside. "It wasn't your fault, kitten." 

"I should of gone with him." she rasped. 

"You would of died too. I don't want your body to be the next one they find out there." 

"To hell with me! It was my job to keep him safe!" she snapped. 

Ben was taken back by her anger. He could sense a meltdown was incoming. He quickly grabbed her hand. "Guys, give us a minute." 

He took Penny up to his office. He closed the door. Penny sat down in his chair. She broke out into tears. Ben wrapped his arms around her again. He held her close. His shirt began to get wet from her tears. He rubbed her shoulder. "That's it. Let it out." he whispered. 

"He...he didn't deserve to die..." she sobbed. 

"I know. I have a feeling that there's no way of this being a freak accident. That was too calculated." He made Penny look up at him. "Trust me...PC Williams and Sergent Ravani will get to the bottom of this. I have a feeling Polonium did something to those batteries." 

She sniffed. "Really?"

"Hindsight is twenty-twenty, kitten. I don't want my intuition to be right though." 

"If that bitch did anything to hurt him, I swear I will drown her myself." she threatened. 

Ben chuckled. "I hate to say it, kitten. As cute as you think you are in orange, it's not your color."

That earned him a slap across the shoulder. Ben rubbed it gingerly. "Ow." 

Meanwhile, 

Charlie was crying into his brother's chest. He held him close. Steele stood by his side. He had a hand on his shoulder. Charlie had lost his one and only family. Sam was all Charlie had left after his biological mom and dad died. Knowing that he'll never be able to hear Sam's voice or even see him again broke him. 

Malcolm walked into the Ocean Rescue Center. "Charlie, I am very sorry."

"N-Not your fault." stammered Charlie through his tears. "P-Please Malcolm. Y-You have to s-stop whoever did this." 

"We will. I had a feeling that explosion was no accident. Polonium is currently being questioned by Rose. I figured I would help provide comfort and support." 

"I appreciate that." murmured Charlie. "God...why did it have to be Sam?" 

Malcolm saddened. The poor firefighter looked worse to wear. It was amazing that most of him was still in tact. Malcolm cleared his throat. "Right. I hate to do this to you, Charlie but I am going to need to have Sam placed in a body bag. I'll be sending his body off for an autopsy." 

"C-Can I at least have five more minutes with him? Please?" begged Charlie. 

"Of course. Take all the time you need."

Malcolm and Steele left Charlie to be alone with his brother's body. Charlie held his brother's hand. "I hope your finally at peace." he whispered. "Tell mom and dad I said hi. I'll miss you." he teared up again. He pressed his forehead to Sam's cold one. 

Helen stood quietly in the corner. She had silent tears in her eyes. _Goodbye Sam, may you find solstice amongst the stars.  
_

**I really hope you guys have enjoyed the story. Like I said, I'm in the process of writing more. I'm trying to help with getting through the wait as Comatose is being updated. Let me know what you guys think below  
**

**Read/Review/Vote**

**See you soon.**


	3. A Fire Came And Went

-Continuing from Chapter 2-  
  


A long week had passed. A thick cloud hung over the town of PontyPandy. It was the first time in months that the city rarely did anything as everyone tried to process Sam's death. Charlie sat at the table in the cafe. His head clenched firmly between his hands. His eyes were sore from crying. He looked withdrawn. He wouldn't eat and he rarely slept. 

He jumped hearing the steps creak. He stood up only to fall over suddenly. The pair of footsteps got closer to him. "Dad!" shouted a male voice. 

Hoshi dove next to his dad's side. "Hey. Hey. It's alright. We're okay." 

Charlie looked up at him. He whimpered quietly. Hoshi hugged his dad. "It's alright. I'm sorry I scared you." 

Hoshi helped his dad stand up. Charlie rubbed his eyes. "I can't believe he's gone.." 

"Neither can I. He went out in the worse way possible but I think I know how you can lay his spirit to rest." 

Charlie looked at his son. "Let's put him in a boat and set it ablaze. Give him a good viking funeral. The skies will be clear tonight." suggested Hoshi. 

Charlie looked unsure. Hoshi placed a hand on his father's shoulder. "It's time to let Uncle Sam rest, dad." 

Charlie looked down. "I-I know. I'll do it. I just have to let the others know."   
  
"What you need to do is rest. I'll deal with all that." 

Charlie sighed. "Fine." 

Hoshi helped his father upstairs. He laid him down on the couch. Charlie wrapped the blanket around his body. He sighed tiredly as he drifted off to a dreamless sleep. Hoshi got to work on calling everyone in PontyPandy. 

Penny looked out the window of the fire station. Ellie and Arnold both watched her worriedly. "she's been really quiet ever since it happened." whispered Arnold. 

"I've noticed." muttered Ellie.   
  
"I'm starting to be really concerned. Maybe Station Officer Steele should give her some time off?" suggested Arnold. "The three of us could handle the station ourselves." 

"I'll go talk to him." 

Ellie stood up. She went off into the office. Station Officer Steele kind of looked distant himself. She could tell he was trying to hold it together. She knocked on the edge of the door frame. His head snapped up from his paperwork. "Oh..Firefighter Phillips..come in..."

Ellie walked into the room. "Sir, I think Penny could use some time off. She hasn't really been..there ever since Sam's death. Arnold and I are starting to worry about her." 

"I see. Suppose it could do her some good. I'll talk to her before she leaves for shift. Speaking of which, in one week, we'll be having a funeral for Sam. I want you guys in formal wear that day."

Ellie saluted him. "Rodger that, sir."

"Is that all, Firefighter Phillips?"

"Yes sir. I'll leave you in peace now." Ellie politely left the room. 

Steele settled down further in his chair. It had been hard for him to focus on his work. He placed his face in his hands. In a lot of ways, he felt like he failed Sam. Sam and Charlie had become his sons. He would do anything for either one of them. Now the station felt empty without one of the Jones brothers in it. 

The late afternoon hours soon came. Penny was getting ready to check out. She heard somebody clear their throat at them. "Morris, can I talk to you for a moment?" asked Steele. 

Penny nodded quietly. She followed Steele into his office. She tried to hide the grief out of her eyes. "I know your in pain." began Steele. "I know it must be hard to be here. The others are worried about your mental health, as am I. Hence why I'm giving you some time off." 

Penny shook her head. "I'm fine." she spat. "One bad day isn't going to keep me down." 

"It does when this has been going on for a week." countered Steele. "You know we care about you, right?" 

She nodded. 

"Please Penny. I beg of you. Take some time off. It'll do you some good. If you would like, I could arrange for Coast Guard Hooper to stay with you." 

She waved him off. "I'll be fine on my own. How long will I be gone?" 

"Will two weeks do it for you?" he asked. 

"Yes sir." 

"Take care, Firefighter Morris. I'll see you when you get back." 

Penny headed home with a heavy heart. Her hoodie concealed her face. The wind blew around her. Tears stung her eyes. She had to stop to wipe them away every couple of minutes. Her phone went off suddenly. She looked to see an incoming call from Ben. She picked up. "Hello?"

"I can see that a certain kitten is struggling. You really should of let me take you home." 

Penny turned around. She saw Ben standing a few feet behind her. She hung up. She stood still. Ben carefully approached her. He held her close. "Oh kitten..." 

Ben escorted her home. He kept his arm around her. Penny was currently experiencing a storm within her. The anger whipped up a raging sea in her heart. Fury were her tears. Polonium and Crompton were still out there. If she had to the vigilante, then so be it. 

Penny sat down on her couch. Ben sat down by her. He let her curl up with him. "It'll be alright. His death wasn't your fault."

"That bitch and her fiend of a friend are still walking free. Sam's soul can't rest unless those two are gone." she snapped. 

"Penny, let the police handle it. Last I heard they had a lead." 

"I can't just stand by, Ben. Not anymore." 

"I know you want to help but we have to wait. Who knows...they could of been captured as of right now." 

Penny held onto Ben. She knew deep down he was right. She still felt like she was to blame for not stopping his death sooner. 

Another week had passed. 

Sam's body laid in a boat near the docks. Hoshi stood close to it with his family. They had dressed Sam up in his firefighting uniform. Charlie approached the boat. He turned to the rest of his friends that had gathered. "I want to thank you guys for coming. Sam was a beautiful soul. He was the flame that burned through all of us. He helped each through the toughest times in our life. I'm very grateful to have been related to such a fantastic human being. Before I send him off, is there anyone here who would like to say a few words?" 

Penny made her way through the crowd. Charlie dipped his head at her. Penny stood by her fallen comrade's body. "I've known Sam for a long time. He was a hero, he was a loving uncle, and he was a great friend when you needed it. I've seen this man face death many times out in the field. It was like he was willing to cheat it no matter how many times it took if it meant the ones he cared about were going to come home safely." 

Penny swallowed back a hard lump. "Now he's gone but he won't be forgotten. His name will be remembered." She looked to the rest of her team who were all staring at her. "I'll carry his title with honor and compassion. I won't let his flame be put out. Fire may of came and went but it still burns within us." 

Ben watched as his girlfriend stepped away from the boat. Pain flashed across her face again. Ben held her close. "You did good. That was beautiful." 

Charlie pushed his brother's boat away from the dock. Hoshi tossed a match into it. They stared at it as the flames steadily started to burn brighter and higher. 


	4. It Will Rain

Penny laid awake in bed. Her gaze was focused on her ceiling. Dark circles had formed under her eyes. It had been a solid month since Sam had passed away. She avoided contact with the outside world. She stopped caring for herself. The only thing her soul was craving for was revenge.   
  
Penny sat up slowly in bed. She slid into a hoodie and sweat pants. She decided she was going to where Polonium last had her hideout. She fetched a knife from the kitchen. She tucked it into the pocket of her hoodie. Penny could feel her heart race in her chest. She trembled. Was she really going to kill someone? Would it be right of her to?   
  
She walked out of her house. She made sure no one was going to follow her before heading to the beach. Ben sat near the garden wall. He had been keeping guard of Penny's house since she went into isolation. He frowned when he spotted her leaving. He waited for her to move a little ways. He then came out of his hiding spot. He decided to follow her. _Where are you going, kitten?_ He wondered. 

Penny made it down to the beach. She snuck into the cave. The cave sat empty from the last time Polonium was in it. She did find some papers that were left behind. She inspected them. The papers talked about them opening a facility in the mountains that bordered Wales and England. Penny tucked it away into her pocket. She knew where she was going to head. 

Ben heard movement near the cave. "I'd better get those papers before those pesky cops find it." muttered a voice. Ben ducked behind a rock. He looked out from behind it to see Crompton entering the cave. 

Crompton paused when he saw Penny. "Hey! You aren't supposed to be here!" 

Penny turned to him. Her brown eyes narrowed. She tackled him to the ground rather quickly. She puts her knife to his throat. "Where are you and Polonium hiding?" 

"I'll never tell." 

Penny snarled. "Tell me." She put more pressure on the blade. 

Crompton whimpered. "Alright. Alright. She's currently hiding in a small cabin in the woods. The facility she wants isn't built yet. Now can you let me go?" 

Penny stared at him. She raised her knife. "Hey? What are you doing?"

Ben entered the cave. He paled when he saw Penny, poised and ready to kill Crompton. He quickly pulled Penny off Crompton. She dropped her knife. She struggled. "Let me go!" she shouted. 

"Penny, no. You can't kill him. That isn't you." 

Penny tried to pull away. She growled. Ben kept a firm hold of her arms. He held her close to him. "Penny, please. Don't do this." 

Crompton saw this as his opportunity to escape. Ben looked at him. "Don't move!" he ordered. "Your under arrest by the order of the Coast Guard!" 

Crompton sat down on the ground. He folded his arms over his chest. 

Ben put Penny on her knees. He keeps her hands down by her sides. "and you, need to chill. You can't just go on a killing spree." 

"What am I supposed to do, Ben? Those maniacs killed Sam! Nothing's been done!" 

"I keep telling you to wait. Karma will come for them. I promise." 

Penny felt her eyes tear up. She dropped her gaze. She stopped struggling to get away from him. Ben held her close again. He rubbed her back. "There's a good kitten. Just take a few deep breathes. I promised you that Malcolm was in the process of finding them." He then looked at Crompton. "Now that the village loudmouth has opened his mouth, we can forward that information to the police." 

Ben let go of Penny's wrists. He helped her stand up. He took out his phone. "I'll give the Constable a call. You stay here. Don't murder anyone, okay?" 

Penny nodded. She shot Crompton a look. Ben shook his head. He stepped outside for a moment. 

Malcolm smiled once he got off the phone with Ben. He looked at Rose. "Looks like we've finally got a lead." 

Rose sighed. "About time we got somewhere. Let's go, Constable." 

The two of them headed off into the woods. They hid in the bushes close to the cabin that Crompton was talking about. Malcolm could see crates with unknown goods right next to the cabin. He frowned. "what's she planning?"

"I guess we'll find out won't we?" asked Rose. She takes her taser off her belt. "Right, on me, Constable." 

They moved up to the front door. Malcolm stood off to the side. Rose gave a nod of her head. Malcolm kicked the door down. "PONTYPANDY POLICE! NO ONE MOVE!" he shouted. 

Polonium growled. She held her hands up. "Of course Crompton would snitch. No matter." She reached slowly behind her for something. 

Rose wasted no time in tazing her. Polonium screeched as she fell over. "I don't think so, Professor. Not this time."

"Good aim, Rose." mused Malcolm. 

"I may be an old dog, but I haven't lost my touch. Get her cuffed, Constable." 

Malcolm pulled Polonium's arms behind her back. "Professor Angela Polonium, you are under arrest for terrorism and the murder of a firefighter. Anything you say or do will be held against you in a court of law." He then yanked her up onto her feet. 

Malcolm took Polonium out to the car. He sat her down in the back. Rose got in on the driver's side. She avoided eye contact with Sam's murderer. Malcolm got in after her. They drove off from the cabin. 

Polonium rested her head against the window. She listened to Malcolm and Rose talk to each other. "So when is this new recruit supposed to be in? He's picked a hell of a time to show up." 

"He's supposed to be in tomorrow. They were super eager about getting to PontyPandy as soon as possible." 

"Well he's just missed the ending of PontyPandy's longest running case." 

Rose chuckled. "I don't think he cares about that."

"So what's the kid's name? What's his rank?"

"The recruit's name is Officer Winter Price." 

Malcolm raised an eyebrow. "You mean there's a member of the Price family in the police force?" 

"Don't act so surprised, Constable. I think it'll be nice to have someone who is less chaotic out in the field." 

Polonium just rolled her eyes. She watched as the sea-side town came further and further into view. They pulled up to the police station. Malcolm loaded Polonium into a holding cell. She sat down in bed. 

The doors to the police station opened up. Ben came in with Crompton and Penny in tow. Malcolm smiled. "Thank you, Ben. You've saved me a trip." 

Ben nodded. He handed Crompton over to Malcolm. Ben then held Penny's hand. "I'm glad that the both of them will be behind bars for a while."

"Us too. Thank you guys so much." 

"No problem. C'mon Penny." 

Penny followed Ben out of the police station. He looked at her. He lifted her chin up. "It's over, Kitten. You don't have to be angry anymore." 

She teared up. She hugged him gently. Ben rubbed her back. "Let's get you home so you can rest. You need it." 

He could feel her bones underneath of her shirt too. "and you need a proper meal." 

Ben took Penny home. He had her lay down on the couch. He kissed her forehead. Penny closed her eyes. Ben sat close to the couch. "Good night, Kitten. Sweet Dreams." 


	5. Homecoming

The sun shone brightly in the sky. A man riding a white and blue ATV came barreling down the Newtown Road. Winter Thomas Price was returning home after hearing what happened in PontyPandy. He knew Sam from his childhood. It broke his heart to hear that his life-long hero had passed away tragically. It also made him very concerned for his adopted mom, Dilys. The boy left home when he was 18 to become a police officer. Now that a new police station was set up in PontyPandy, he could finally be closer to home. 

He drove into town. PontyPandy hadn't changed since the last time he left it. He spotted some of the townsfolk moving up and down the street. He waved to them as he passed. He headed for the Police Station which sat on a hill overlooking his mother's shop. He parked outside of it. He stuck his helmet on the seat as he entered the station. 

Warm air blasted him which was welcomed considering how cold it was in PontyPandy right now. He looked around. He saw an older Hispanic female approaching him. He smiled. He saluted her respectfully. "Officer Winter Price of London, at your service." 

Rose smiled. She saluted him back. She grew serious. "I'm sure you heard about PontyPandy's Lead Firefighter's death, right?"

"Yes ma'am. I hate to say it but I was rather close to Sam before he died. He was always the dad figure I never had. It hurts me to know that some fiend killed him." he said. "I am here to help with the questioning. I've got a way of being able to make people talk." 

"Good. Malcolm and I haven't been successful. She's smart. I'll give her that much. Her assistant, not so much." 

Winter rubbed his chin in thought. "Her assistant, you say? What can you tell me about him? Any weaknesses?" 

Rose lofted an eyebrow. "what are you thinking?" 

"Don't worry about it. I just need to know what might get him to talk. Especially if he's as gullible as you say." 

Crompton had been brought into the interrogation room. He shifted around in his chair nervously. The door opened revealing a blonde haired male that he had never seen before. The man had two Strawberry Supremes in his hand. He sat down in the chair in front of Crompton. He offered one of them to him. Crompton eyed it before taking it. He began munching on it. The man smiled. "Figured you could use one."

"So this place does have ice cream?"

Winter gave his ice lolly a lick. "Yep. I recently bought some. My name is Officer Price, by the way. I heard these were your favorite." 

Crompton cleared his. He set the stick down. Winter leaned forward. "Tell ya what, I'll let you have another if you can answer some questions for me. Okay?" 

Crompton nodded eagerly. Winter put his ice lolly away into container. He took out a file. He lined up some of the images. The images were of the injuries on Sam. He saw the color drain from Crompton's face. "She said he wouldn't be hurt this badly. I had no idea what his injuries looked like. All I knew is that he was dead." spoke Crompton quickly. 

Winter tilted his head. "Really?" 

Crompton nodded. "Yeah. She had me rig the batteries to explode remotely. She promised she wouldn't do any real harm to him. I guess I was wrong." 

"So you were the one that set controls up?" 

"Yeah. She had this little pen that she could use to control the blast. I think it's still in her jacket sleeve." 

Winter wrote down Crompton's responses. "Do you know why Polonium picked Sam as her target." 

Crompton looked down. "Because she wanted to replace him as Hero-Next-Door. She couldn't do that with him in the way." 

"I see. Well thank you, Crompton. I'll be sure to pass your Intel along." Winter got up. "I think another Strawberry Supreme is in order." 

Winter walked out of the room afterwards, eating his. He handed his notebook off to Rose. "Read it and weep." 

Rose shook her head. She checked it. "Interesting. So he pretty much squawked." 

Winter nodded his head. He pulled the stick out of his mouth. He grinned revealing the red die on the end of the stick. She chuckled. "Thank you, Winter. This will help us a lot on the case. Please feel free to take a tour of the town. I'm sure you want a few moments to get familiar before diving into more work." 

"Thanks. I have to visit my mom anyway." He chucked the stick into the trash. He headed out of the police station. 

Winter walked to his mother's shop. She was in the process of cashing Bronwyn out. Bronwyn smiled at him. "Oh hello, Winter. I heard you were coming today." 

Right before Winter could respond, his mother came running out from behind the counter. Dilys hugged him harshly. "My darling boy!" 

He chuckled. "Hey mom." He hugged her back. 

She pulled away. "Let me take care of Bronwyn then we can talk." 

Winter nodded. He politely stood back. Bronwyn left the shop after a while. Dilys came out from behind the counter again. "Are you hungry? Would you like some tea?"

"Yes and yes. Those ice lollies could only do so much." he grinned. 

Dilys giggled. She headed upstairs with him. "Just so you know, I do have your old room set up in case you want it." 

"Considering this was last minute, I'll gladly take it. I'll figure out how to get you back for rent once I'm working officially." 

"You don't worry about that. Just staying alive and coming home in one piece will do it for me. These are dark times. I don't want you dying like Sam did." 

Winter dropped his gaze. "Yeah...It's a shame. I wanted to show him that I made it. I told him I would." 

He sat down at the dining room table. Dilys could tell that the realization that Sam was actually gone had settled in. Sam and Winter were super close. They were father-son close. Winter never knew who his actual dad was. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure he's up there right now, smiling at you."

Winter grinned slightly. "You think so?"

"I know so. He would be very proud of how far you've come. Same with his niece and nephew." 

"Thanks mom." 

"No problem, baby. Now would you like some fish and chips?"

"Oh yes please! I've missed your cooking so much!" 

_**A quick disclaimer. I don't think that Norman is Sam's child nor does this story support that theory. Winter's just had a son-like bond with Sam.  
** _

_**I do hope you guys enjoy.  
** _

_**Read/Comment/Vote** _


	6. Fox's Plight

Ben sat at the edge of Penny's couch. The inside of the house was dark. Rain shadows danced in the dark. Lightning flashed outside. He sighed. The house felt empty without her. Ben took his phone out of his pocket. The light revealed his disheveled features. His hair was a mess. His green eyes were dull and sunken in. He pulled up a picture of Penny on his phone. He had taken it one day before she went missing. She had fallen asleep on the couch in the Ocean Rescue Center. She looked so small. He grinned weakly. He put his finger on it. "I miss you, Kitten. I hope wherever you are, your safe. I'm sorry it's taking so long to find you." 

He tried her number again. This time somebody answered it. He could hear panicked female breathing. It sounded like they were trying to hide from something. "Penny? Is that you?" 

"Ben?" rasped Penny. Her voice sounded hoarse. 

He stood up. "Kitten, tell me where you are. I'll come get you. I don't give a rat's ass if it's pissing buckets outside." 

He could hear her breathing pick up. Her line went dead. "Kitten? Damn it." He put his phone in his pocket. 

He left the house. The rain came crashing down on him. His sweater was already wet. Ben stripped it off. He left it near the garden wall. He took off running in the rain towards PontyPandy. He knew the one person who could help. 

Winter had his face up close to the window. He watched as two rain drops slid down the window. "Tommy and Georgie are neck and neck. Will Tommy make it? Let's find out!" he said in his best announcer's impression. 

The second rain drop hit the window sill first. "And Georgie wins! The crowd goes wild!" shouted Winter. 

Malcolm chuckled at him quietly. He shook his head. The both of them jumped hearing the door slam against the frame near the front. "Malcolm! You have to help me!" cried Ben. 

"Of course. What's wrong? Why are you shirtless?"

"Never mind that!" Ben slammed his phone down on the table. "Penny called. I need someone who can trace phone numbers." 

Winter perked up. "I can track numbers. Used to do them all the time in London." 

He took Ben's phone. He hooked it up to the Map Screen 7000. He pulled up Ben's call log. "let's see. Where did that number ping from?" A map appeared on screen. A red dot showed near PontyPandy Mountain. "Bingo. Looks like the tower close by picked up her phone." 

Ben nodded. "Thank you!" 

Ben ran out in the rain again. Winter looked at him. "we really should follow, huh?"

Malcolm nodded. "Yeah. He could be running right into a trap." 

Penny kept running through the woods. She ended up slipping in the mud and falling over. She heard the voices behind her. She whimpered and quickly ducked behind a tree. A pair of flashlights went by her. "I thought I saw her run down this way." 

"Me too. However." 

Penny kept very still and silent. The light shined around the edges of the tree. Her shadow got picked up. She paled. "Found her!" 

Penny took off again. She scrambled off into the bushes. She had to keep going. She was wet and scared. She didn't know where she was. 

Ben hopped the fence bordering the Newtown Road. He panted looking around. He shouted for Penny. He took off running between the trees. His feet were getting stuck in the thick mud. _If I'm struggling to move around, Penny could be too. Which means she may get hurt. I don't know what has her scared but whoever it is may catch her. She's smart but not when she's panicking.  
_

Ben kept moving. He got halfway to where the Mountain Activity Center was when he felt something barrel into him. He grunted as he fell backwards. He looked up to see a pair of eyes looking down at him. They whimpered softly. A pair of arms wrapped themselves around Ben. It took several moments to realize that it was Penny holding onto him. "Oh Kitten." He held her close. 

He heard voices talking nearby. He frowned when Penny whimpered suddenly. "Don't let them touch me." she rasped. 

He nodded. He stood up. He had her in his arms bridal-style. "Don't worry. Your safe now." Ben took off running back the way he came. 

Ben made it out on the road. He spotted Winter and Malcolm driving up to them. Malcolm slowed to a stop as Ben waved them over. Winter helped Ben lay Penny across the back seat. Ben climbed in with her. 

Malcolm took the two of them to his sister's house. Helen began checking Penny over. Penny was trembling from the cold. She didn't look so good. Helen felt her forehead. "Poor thing. You have a cold and it looks like you were beat nearly to death." 

Ben growled quietly. "There were some folks following her. I think they did this to her." 

Malcolm looked to Winter. "then that's where we'll begin our search. Be back soon." 

The two of them left the house. Ben held Penny's hand. "Your safe now. No need to worry." 

Penny sniffed. She put his hand on her cheek. Ben grinned. "Don't cry. You'll be okay. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." 

Helen tended to Penny's wounds. She found something warmer for Penny to wear. Penny curled up underneath of the blanket Helen had given her. She watched Ben carefully. Helen checked him over as well. She handed him a towel so he can dry off. Ben began drying himself off. He put the towel around his shoulders. He knelt by the couch again. Penny moved further back. Ben laid his hand close to her. Penny cautiously held onto it. 

Ben could tell that Penny was scared. She looked so thin. He could see all the bruises on her body. Those scumbags did a number to her. "Just rest. I'll be here when you wake up."

Penny curled up closer to him. Ben laid his head down for the first time in weeks. He sighed as he succumbed to sleep. 


	7. Ashenfall

Fiery debris came down around them. The inside of the building felt hot leaving Ellie in a sweat. She was carrying a wounded Arnold on her back. Arnold had gotten caught in a flash-over trying to save Ellie's life. His body was badly singed. "Ellie, I'm telling you. You'll move much faster if you just abandoned me here." grunted Arnold. 

Ellie ignored him. She began climbing up the stairs. Arnold heard an explosion shake the stair well. He looked down. A fireball was coming right towards them from the bottom floors. His eyes widened. "EL! RUN!" 

Ellie picked up the pace. The training she had in the fire academy kicked in. The stairwell began to shift and move. She found it hard to keep her balance. The landing under the stairs gave out from under her suddenly. She grabbed hold of the last bit of step in front of her. Her legs were dangling helplessly. Arnold's weight hit her full force. She began trying to pull the both of them upwards. 

Arnold could see his friend was struggling. His hold got loose. "Ellie, I can't let you get hurt because of me."

"No. Just give me a few more moments. Please." 

"Ellie, I'm a lost cause. Just go. Save yourself." 

"No. No." 

She felt Arnold hug her tightly. "I'm very thankful that I got to be your friend. Thank you." 

Ellie froze. "Arnold.."

"Cherish those moments." Arnold then shoved himself off her. Ellie reached for him. She screamed his name. 

The fire had eaten away at half of the stairwell. Arnold's body fell into the growing flames. Ellie braced herself in case the flames came for her. She yanked herself up onto the next flight of stairs, however the rest of the stairwell began to collapse. Ellie tumbled out of them. She fell through the floor below them onto the floor under them. She held her arms up as some of the metal railing came down on top of her. 

Ellie watched her world went black....

Ellie felt a pair of arms lift her up. "I've found her!" came a deep male voice. Ellie's head rung. Her BA had long since run off of oxygen. She groaned. Her vision was blurry. "Arnold." she mumbled as the last thing before she blacked out again. 

_"Hang in there, Arnold!" she shouted.  
_

_The flames were closing in on them. Arnold lessen his hold on her. "No! No! Don't let go!"_

_"Goodbye Ellie!" Ellie watched as Arnold pushed himself off her. "_

_No!" she wailed.  
_

_The fire shot up from the ground. Ellie felt it burn her limps. She let out a scream.  
_

"No!" 

Ellie bolted upright in bed. She tossed her arms up only to have them held down by a pair of hands. "Hey! Hey! It's alright." 

Ellie turned her head to see Sam sitting by her bedside. His warm hands had a firm hold of her arms. "Your safe." he comforted. 

Tears immediately sprung to her eyes. "Arnold. Please tell me he made it. Please tell me you were able to find him." she begged. 

"I wish I could say he made it. He was badly burned by the time we found him. He didn't have a pulse. You were the only survivor in that blaze." 

All color drained from Ellie's face. Had she accidentally killed her best friend? She knew that Arnold's life depended on her. Here she was alive and well without him. She bursts out into pained sobs. She turned her body away from Sam. 

Sam reached out to comfort her. "I'm a murderer." she muttered. "I killed him. I should of grabbed him before he slid off me. He kept telling me to leave him behind and I didn't want to." 

Sam placed a hand on her shoulder. He felt Ellie flinch. "Ellie, his death wasn't your fault. I'm sure he did it to protect you."

"That should of been me! Not him! He deserved better! He has his whole life ahead of him! His whole life!" she spat. 

"I know, Ellie. I know but please don't blame yourself." 

"I can't blame the fire, Sam. I'm responsible for him no matter where I go." she sniffed. "I shouldn't be alive. It's not fair." 

Ellie felt Sam stroking her hair. Ellie allowed him to touch her. She closed her eyes. She let silent tears fall onto her pillow. 

The hospital discharged her after a month. Ellie had lived with Arnold in a townhouse together. The whole place smelled of him. Ellie stood numbly in the doorway. She was surrounded by memories of times she would never have with him again. His items and books laid in various spots in the living room. 

Ellie walked into the house. She closed the door behind her. She plopped down on the couch. His scent wafted up from it. Tears immediately sprung to her eyes. She gripped the top of her head tightly. An animal-like scream left her lips. She let her walls come down after a month of trying to keep everything in at the hospital. Guilt and anger tore at her heart. 

Ellie curled up into a ball on the floor. She began hyperventilating. She couldn't breathe correctly. 

A heavy knock at the door was what snapped her out of it. She quickly stood up. The hollow expression returned to her face as she answered the door. Penny stood on the other side of it. "Hey. I figured I would come by to see you. I know I didn't visit often because I had to stay behind at the station."

"You don't need to apologize. I..I'm doing okay." Ellie leaned against the door-frame. 

Penny stared her up and down. "I don't think you are." 

Ellie let Penny walk into her house. Penny sat down on the couch. "Wow, Arnold must of kept a lot of books." 

Ellie groaned in annoyance. "You have no idea. Some days I'd find them on the stairs. I would ask him numerous times to find homes but he never listens." 

Penny chuckled. "It's amazing you two got along as well as you did." 

"Oh trust me. It wasn't always the case in the beginning. We couldn't stand each other when he first arrived." mused Ellie. 

Ellie felt a wave of sadness wash over her. She gripped the counter. Penny could see how upset Ellie was. Penny walked over to her. She offered Ellie her arms. Ellie held her close. She sobbed into Penny's shoulder. Penny rubbed her back. "that's it. Let it out. You don't have to be strong for me." 

She felt her shirt get wet from Ellie's tears. Ellie pulled away after a while. She sniffed. She wiped away her tears. Penny rubbed her back again. "Remember, it's never good bye. It's see you soon." She then thought for a moment. "I've got an idea." 

Penny took Ellie out onto the waters in Neptune. She got about halfway from PontyPandy before stopping. She set a small box down on the water. She lit a candle and set it on the center of the box. She turned to Ellie. "I figured since his body was singed so badly, you could set up a small memorial for him out here." 

Ellie felt a hard lump form in her throat. She picked up the wreath of flowers she had gotten and set around the candle. She also put two of Arnold's favorite books down on the box. She placed her hand on the box. She looked to Penny. 

"When your ready. It'll help put your mind at ease some. I've done it for some friends of mine in Newtown who didn't make it." murmured Penny. 

"How did you learn to cope with the loss? The guilt of knowing you could of done more?" asked Ellie. 

Penny placed a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes were a little wet from crying herself. "One day at a time." she rasped out. 

Ellie gently shoved the box forward. The box began floating out to see. Ellie felt a harsh wind blow around her. She smiled softly. "Goodbye Arnold. I'll miss you. I hope you'll find peace amongst the stars now." 


	8. Nightmare

**Warning the following one shot contains a spoiler character from Comatose. If you haven't read Comatose yet, you may want to consider skipping this story. Thanks- Den Mum**

Sam heard the door to his room open slightly. He sat upright in bed to see a ginger haired child looking into his room. Her hair had white streaks in it. "Daddy?" she asked. 

"What's wrong, Renee? Why are you up?" 

Renee entered her father's room. "I had a nightmare. Can I sleep with you?" 

Sam patted the spot next to him. Renee darted over to his bedside. She climbed in. She curled up close to him. Sam laid down on his side. He stroked her hair gently. "I had a dream that the crazy lady killed you and grandma." whispered Renee. 

Sam saddened. He remembered that night when she was taken. Renee was only a baby when Polonium snatched her and Helen out of the house. Helen fought bravely on the cliffs to keep Renee alive. Sam had barely gotten the news. Helen was already at death's door by the time that he arrived. 

Sam held Renee close. She sniffed. "She kept making fun of you two. She kept telling me that you guys wouldn't be strong enough to protect me." 

"Oh Renee.." whispered Sam. "She's gone now. She won't be able to hurt you anymore." He lifted up her chin. "Even if she did come back, I'm not going to let her touch you." 

Renee sniffed again. She hugged her dad. Sam rubbed her back. "How about some hot cocoa to make you feel better, hm?" 

He felt her nod against his chest. He grinned. He let go of her and slipped out of bed. Renee followed after him. She took his hand in hers. She kept an eye on the darkness around her. Sam paused. He picked her up into his arms. Renee smiled. She hugged him tightly. 

Sam carried Renee downstairs. He set her down at the dining room table. He flicked on the light for the kitchen. He put the kettle on the stove. "Daddy?" 

"Yes?" 

"Who is the lady I keep seeing in my dreams?" 

Sam gripped the counter. He kept his back to her. Renee tilted her head. She saw how pale her dad had become. She slid down off the chair. She walked over to him. She gently held onto his free hand. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you upset." 

Sam shook his head. "No. You didn't make me upset. I just wasn't expecting you to ask about her right away." 

He knelt in front of her. "If I tell you, you have to promise that no matter what, you won't let that determine who you are. Okay?" 

She nodded. 

Sam swallowed back a lump that had formed in his throat. "That lady you keep seeing in your dreams is your mother. Angela was a horrible person. She did things to me that I'd much rather not talk about." 

He saw how pale Renee was. She whimpered softly. "Do you hate me?" 

"No. No honey. No." Sam knelt in front of her. He held Renee close. "You were the one good thing that came out of that nightmare. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about you at first but you have been a blessing. I'm so glad you survived." 

Renee wiped away her tears. "Really?"

Sam nodded. He kissed her forehead. "I'll always love you. No matter what."

Renee sniffed. Sam got up off the ground. He headed off to make hot chocolate for the both of them. Renee sat back down at the table. She grabbed her sketchbook which sat on the table. She began doodling in it whilst she waited for him. 

Sam finished making their cocoas. He sat with them at the table. Gracie took hers. Sam had put whipped creme and cinnamon in hers. She smiled. She takes a sip of hers. Sam smiled. He began drinking his. 

Renee began to feel slightly better. She yawned setting her cup down. Sam looked up. He chuckled. "I think it's bed time for a certain kiddo."

"Aww but I'm not tired." She whined as she rubbed her eyes. 

"Mhm." Sam picked her up. He gently turned out the lights. "C'mon." 

Sam carried her back upstairs to his room. Renee had already begun to pass out in his arms. She felt safe. Sam laid down with her. He held her close. "Good night, Renee."

"Night daddy." 

Renee then drifted off to sleep, safe and sound in her dad's arms. 

**Sorry it's so short but there's only so much I can do with this story. I do hope you guys will enjoy it anyway.  
**

**Read/Vote/Review**


	9. King of The Flowers

Winter walked out through the back door of the shop. He had several pots that had various flowers in them. He set them down on the step. He began moving some of the concrete bits that he had dug up the day before. Winter wanted to make a small flower garden for himself in the back. 

Winter picked up the bag of soil he had bought. He poured some of it into the hole. He then grew out his paws so he could dig. He made tiny holes for each one of the flowers. "There. They should be able to fit now. If not, I'll have to explain to mom why there's more holes in the ground." 

Just as Winter was getting ready to put the flowers into the ground, he heard somebody scoff. "This again?" snapped Norman. 

"Yeah. This again." Winter stood up. He dusted himself off. "You got a problem?" 

"I just don't get it. Why would you grow flowers here? They'll wither and die." 

Winter shook his head. "This place gets ample sunlight. Plus I figured mom might like them."

"For the last time, she's not your mom. You don't have a mom, at least not anymore." sneered Norman. 

Winter shrugged. "I'm adopted so your mom is technically my mom. You have to stop with these childish insults. We're both too old for them." 

Winter picked up one of the pots. Norman went to knock it out of his hand only to get stopped. Winter had a firm hold of his brother's wrist. "I didn't realize you wanted to help, big brother. However, I can't let you hurt my darling plant friends." 

Norman rips his hand out. He rubs his wrist. "Don't put your hand on me."

"You did it first. I merely defended myself." Winter put his first flower in the ground. 

Norman scoffed. "Freak." He muttered as he walked off. 

Winter shook his head in amusement. He began planting his flowers. His flowers were a combo of blue and purple. He smiled once he had all six of them in the ground. "There we are, my darling friends. All safe and snug in bed." 

Winter filled a watering can with water. He poured enough for each flower. "Enjoy your water, my friends. I'll see you tomorrow." Winter went back inside. 

Winter walked in enough time to see his brother bitching to their mother. "I'm telling you mom, Winter is a freak. Why do you keep him around?" 

"Winter isn't a freak. He's perfectly normal. Just like you and me. He's just being himself." countered Dilys. 

She turned to see Winter walking up to them. "Ah Winter, how was gardening? Did the flowers fit?"

Winter nodded. "Yep! They should be happy in their little beds." 

Dilys smiled. She ruffled Winter's hair gently. "Now you really should wash up. I've got lunch cooking upstairs." 

Winter ran up the steps happily. Norman scowled. "Again! Freak." He made the "he's crazy" motion with his hand over his ear. 

Dilys rolled her eyes. "You really should have more respect for your brother, Norman. He's not as strange as you think of him to be." 

"He keeps prancing around. Don't even get me started about his dog ears and tail. How can you stand looking at that? He's an embarrassment to the family name." whined Norman.

"Norman Price! I've heard quite enough!" shouted Dilys. 

Meanwhile,

Winter let the warm water rush over his backside. He hummed quietly to himself. "I smile. Even though it hurts me I smile." sang Winter. "Smile, it's so hard to look up when you've been down." 

Winter was used to Norman's constant bullying. Today, he just decided he had enough. He wasn't going to let Norman bug him anymore. Winter finished up his shower. He continued to hum to himself until he got dressed. 

Winter headed downstairs. His ears twitched to movement outside. He frowned. He quickly stepped outside to see Norman hacking away at his flowers. Winter cleared his throat. Norman looked up. "What do you think your doing?" asked Winter. 

"Killing your dumb flowers. I'm not having you embarrass us further." growled Norman. 

Winter's eyes narrowed. "Me? Being an embarrassment? I didn't realize that loving myself was such a crime. Now unhand my precious lilies, you fiend." 

"Make me." taunted Norman. 

Winter ran towards the wall. He climbed up it and used the top of his foot to slam it down on Norman's head. Norman grunted. He dropped his shovel. Winter caught it. He then knee capped Norman with the flat end of the shovel. Norman fell to one knee. Winter swung the shovel up onto his shoulders. He grinned. "Have to move fast, big brother." He mused. 

Norman groaned. He held his knee. "You'll be fine. It's not broken." Winter headed over to his garden. He sighed in relief seeing that at least one of his flowers was okay. He knelt down. He gently pushed it back into it's plot. "There we go, my friend. I'll get you some more friends soon." 

Norman weakly stood up. "This ain't over." he threatened. 

Winter waved him off dismissively. "Look forward to having another one of our chats soon. Next time, don't take it out on my friends." 

Norman limped off inside. Winter used the rest of the damaged flowers as mulch. He kept from crying. "Rest well." he whispered. He stood up. He dusted himself off. He dialed a number. 

**??: Hello?**

**Winter: Hey Sam. Hopefully I'm not interrupting anything important. I may need some more flowers.  
**

**Sam: Oh dear. What happened?  
**

**Winter: Norman. He decided he had a problem with my friends existing in the backyard.  
**

**Sam: Did any of them survive?  
**

**Winter: One**

**Sam: Bring that one by my place. I'll help you set up a plot of land so you can keep your precious flowers safe.  
**

**Winter: Oh thank you, Sam! Your the best! I'll be right over!**

Winter carefully dug up the flower. He put it into one of the pots. "Hang on. I think I've found the perfect home for you." 

Winter headed off to Sam's house. Sam was already in the process of digging up another plot for Winter. Winter entered Sam's yard through the gate. "I'm here. I've brought my friend with me." He showed Sam the nearly damaged flower. 

Sam sighed. "I wished your brother would leave you alone." 

"I know. Though there's something I want to talk to you about while I'm here." muttered Winter. 

"Oh? Is everything okay at home?"

"Yeah. Yeah. Just Norman being an asshole. Um..how can I say this? I've been accepted out to London to begin training as a police officer."

Sam smiled. "That's great! Are you going to go? Does your mom know?" 

Winter shook his head. "I haven't told her yet because I don't know. I'm honestly scared of leaving home." 

"I feel you. I really do. That was me when I got invited to work out in Newtown as a Station Officer. Boyce wanted me to sign a paper at the end of the day."

"What did you do then?"

Sam placed a hand on Winter's shoulder. "I followed my heart. I think you should too. PontyPandy will miss you if you decide to leave." 

Winter looked at the flower in his hand. "You know what, Sam? I think I've decided." 

Winter bent down to plant his surviving flower into the ground. He gently touched the petals once he was done. "I think I'll take this as a sign that I need to turn over a new leaf." 

Winter stood up again. He hugged Sam. "Thank you. Please take care of my friend."

"I will, Winter. Good luck and take care of yourself." 

"I will, Sam." 


	10. Spanish Sahara

Winter's bag sat packed on his bed. Winter folded the last of his clothes. He stuck it into the bag. He heard a knock at the door. He looked up to see Sam standing in the doorway. Winter smiled. "Hey Sam. Fancied a visit?" 

Sam grinned back. "Yeah. I actually thought I would take you by the airport myself." 

"Oh! That's very kind of you." Winter zipped up his bag. He looked around his room one last time. "Hard to believe I'm leaving home."

Sam placed a hand on his shoulder. He took Winter's bag from him. Winter followed Sam downstairs. Dilys waited for them on the shop floor. She smiled sadly. She offered her arms to Winter. Winter hugged her tightly. "Oh my darling boy. Please remember to text me every now and then." 

Winter chuckled. "I will." 

She touched his cheek. "It's so hard for me to let you go. I know this job is important to you. Do promise me you'll visit."

"When I'm not busy with exams and stuff, sure. I love you, Mom."

"I love you too. Take care. Get there safely." 

Winter nodded. He followed Sam out to Charlie's jeep. Sam put Winter's bag into the back of the Jeep. Dilys watched the boys leave through the shop window. She put both hands up to her heart. "Good luck Winter." she muttered quietly. 

Winter leaned his head up against the window. He watched as the town faded from view. Sam did a sideways glance at him. "Hard to believe that you and Norman are both grown up." 

"I can. Shame Norman still acts like a child." chuckled Winter. 

"I remember the first day you and I met. You were trapped on the top floor after Norman tricked you to get in the closet." muttered Sam. "Now look at you, you've evolved past his antics." 

"You always told me to not mind him. In a lot of ways, I have you to thank for that. You always taught me to love myself." 

"I was only doing the right thing. Nothing really special about that." 

Winter looked at him. "I'm serious. You have to be the best dad figure I had in my life." 

Sam blushed. "Your too kind." 

The two of them fell silent. Sam cleared his throat. "I got something for you. I figured it would be a good house warming gift. It's in the glove box."

Winter opened up the glove box. He found a small wrapped package in it. He took it out and began unwrapping it. The gift was a small book with a flower on it. _Fenix's Guide to Flowers and Gardening._ it read. Winter smiled. "You got me a book about flowers?"

"Yeah. When you planted that flower garden in my yard, it got my thinking. I saw that book one day when I went to Newtown and thought of you." 

Winter looked at it. "It's lovely. Thank you." 

Sam smiled slightly. He then shifted a bit in his chair. "God I'm going to miss you, kid. It was nice having somebody in town to talk about plants with."

"Me too. It was nice having somebody to talk to when I had a problem." Winter frowned. 

The two of them sat in silence again. Sam tapped his fingers against the back of the steering wheel. Winter began flipping through his book. He started reading each one of the entries. He got to an entry about a flower called _Prince's Feather.  
_

_Amaranthus Cruentus makes a striking statement in beds or borders. Growing up to 6 feet in height, it bears somewhat fuzzy-looking spires of purplish red flowers in summer, followed by seed heads that can be red, purple, or yellow. It is native to tropical regions of North and South America_

_Care:_

_Full sun. Moderately fertile, moist soil with lots of organic matter. During dry spells, water freely to prolong flowering.  
_

"This flower is pretty." commented Winter. 

"Which one?"

"The Prince's Feather. I think I may include one in my bed. Not sure if it'll grow in London's climate though." 

"I'm sure you could always experiment and find out. Are you going to be growing vegetables too?"

"Possibly. I'll have to see how big my back yard is. I'm living with my sister, mind you." 

Sam looked confused. "I didn't know you had a sister."

"I do. I found out recently after I got the invite. Turns out she's been living in London this entire time." 

"I see. You excited that you'll finally be able to meet your sister?"

"Yeah. Yeah I am actually. Maybe I can learn about my real parents. Assuming that they survived the Creakwood burning." 

The duo stopped in Newtown for lunch. They then continued onward to Cardiff. They arrived in Cardiff about 3 hours later. Sam pulled up outside of the airport. He parked near baggage check in. Winter hopped out. He put the book away in his pocket. He felt a harsh lump form in his throat as Sam handed him his bag. Sam patted him on the shoulder. "Good luck out there, Winter." 

Winter tossed his arms around Sam's shoulder. "Thank you. For everything. I hope one day you and I will cross paths." 

Sam held the boy's arms. "Me too." He kissed the top of Winter's forehead. "Don't hesitate to call me dad." 

Winter sniffed. "Goodbye Dad."

"Goodbye Winter." 

Winter watched as Sam got in the jeep. He pulled away. Sam glanced in the rearview mirror. Winter's form got smaller with each passing second. 

Winter stared for a while before putting his bag on the loading belt. He got his boarding pass and headed inside to wait for his flight. 

He found a spot at his gate near the window. He could see the Welsh countryside on the other side of the window. Sam's book sat in his lap. He put his headphones in. He began listening to music while he waited to board the plane. He read through more of the entries. 

Four more hours had rolled by. "Attention. Flight 34A to London now boarding. We will start with Piority Boarding and work our way to Group Nine. Please board with your group." 

Winter scanned his boarding pass as he walked with his group. The flight attendant smiled at him. "Welcome aboard, Mr. Price." 

Winter boarded the plane and sat down in his seat. He was positioned close to the window. He put his headphones in again. He leaned his head against the glass. "Spanish Sahara" by "The Foals" began playing. He closed his eyes. He thought about his time in PontyPandy. Despite dealing with the constant bullying from his brother, he felt like he had lived a somewhat decent life there. 

The plane began barreling down the runway. Winter watched with excitement. He would soon be in the air and on his way to a new life. "Goodbye PontyPandy." he muttered. "May we cross paths again one day." 

The plane left the runway. It disappeared off into the clouds. 


	11. Flowers and Dogs

**Warning the following chapter deals with M-Preg. Please avoid reading if any of the following offends you:**

**1.) M-Preg: Males getting pregnant and then having babies**

**2.) Sexy Time**

**3.) Birth scenes**

**-Den Moother**

Winter felt Malcolm enter him. He panted. Malcolm was a bit bigger than he was expecting. "Oh fuck." he groaned. 

"What's wrong?" asked Malcolm. 

"Your huge." panted Winter. 

Malcolm grinned. "All eight inches for you baby." He kissed his mate's neck.

Winter shuddered. This was the first time he had anyone touch his opening. Winter did a good job in keeping both parts covered. He looked up at Malcolm. Malcolm had a loving look on his face. "It's only going to hurt a little bit, okay?" 

Winter nodded. Malcolm pushed up against his hymen. Winter called out as it shattered. He leaned against Malcolm. Malcolm began pumping in and out of him. Winter groaned softly. He held onto his mate. Pain soon turned into pleasure. 

Winter bucked his hips against Malcolm's. He moaned, leaning his head back. Malcolm bent forward and kissed his neck. His tongue danced up and down it. Winter gripped the sheets. He moaned louder than he should of. Malcolm put his mouth over Winter's to silence him. 

Winter could feel himself getting close. "M-Mal...I'm close..."

Malcolm grunted. "So am I." He pulled Winter close. 

Winter called out as Malcolm shot a load into him. Winter soon climaxed onto him. Winter leaned against his chest. "Keep going. I'm not done yet." panted Winter. 

Malcolm gladly took his invitation. He pinned his mate to the headboard. They began grinding against each other. Malcolm found pleasure in hearing Winter get super vocal. The two of them went four times before laying down in each other's arms. Malcolm held Winter close. "I love you." 

"I love you too." whispered Winter. He kissed his mate one last time before going to sleep. 

Three days go by. 

Winter woke up to feeling his stomach burn. He quickly bolted over to the bathroom. Malcolm heard his mate ratcheting his guts up. He held back Winter's long blonde hair. Winter groaned. He leaned his head against the toilet bowl. "I swear that chicken was cooked last night." he mumbled. 

"Maybe it's just a stomach bug?" suggested Malcolm. 

"Maybe. I guess I'll just have to lay down today." Winter stood up weakly. He felt super dizzy. 

Malcolm helped his mate back into bed. Winter groaned laying down. "I hate to have to ask you this but do you know if Helen has a pregnancy test?" 

"I think so. Don't quote me on that. I'll go ahead and ask her." Malcolm took his phone out. He left the room. 

Winter held his stomach. He waited for Malcolm to come back. _If I do end up pregnant, I'm going to be scared. Malcolm may get rid of me._ He thought anxiously. 

Helen came by the boy's house. She knocked on the door. Malcolm answered it. Helen passed him a small kit. "I'm not going to ask why you need the pregnancy test. All I can say is keep me updated." mused Helen. 

Malcolm smiled. He took the kit from his sister. He headed upstairs. Winter turned to face him. "Did she have one?" 

Malcolm nodded. He handed the kit to Winter. Winter ran off into the bathroom with it. Malcolm sat down at the edge of the bed. He drummed his fingers on the sheets nervously. 

The door to the bathroom opened suddenly. A very pale Winter came walking out. He had a positive test in hand. He showed it to Malcolm. Malcolm smiled brightly. He wrapped his arms around his husband. "We're going to be fathers!"

Winter held onto Malcolm. "You aren't mad?" he asked. 

Malcolm shook his head. "No. Why would I? This is a happy moment for us." 

Winter sniffed. "I thought you wouldn't want it."

Malcolm touched his cheek. "I've always wanted to start a family with you. Whether we had this child naturally or even adopted one. I can't imagine doing this with anyone else." 

Winter smiled weakly. He hugged Malcolm again. "Oh lord. What will the others think?" 

"I'm sure they'll accept you and the child no matter what. The folks around here are more accepting and caring than you give them credit for." reassured Malcolm. 

Winter sat down on the bed. He placed a hand over his stomach. "You realize I'm going to have the shortest pregnancy ever, right?" 

"How long will you be pregnant for?"

"I can't remember if it's short because of the human side or dog side but two long months." said Winter. 

"Oh dear. That is short. I guess we'll have to start getting ready to welcome the baby into the world now, huh?"

Winter chuckled. "Yep." He saddened. "However the one person who won't be here to welcome her would be Sam." 

Winter felt his eyes get hot suddenly. Malcolm sensed his distress. He held Winter close. "He's probably up there watching over you. I know he'll keep you and the baby safe." 

Winter wiped away his tears. "I know. It's just..not fair that he can't be here to welcome his grandchild. I would do anything to have him back. Just once. Even for a day." 

Malcolm thought for a moment. _I think I might be able to help with that._ He kissed the top of Winter's forehead. He laid his mate down in bed. Winter settled long enough to go back to sleep. Once Malcolm made sure he was okay, he headed off to PontPandy Mountain. 

The top of PontyPandy Mountain was quiet. There was a hidden cave up at the top. Two rune-stones sat in the center of the cave. One had a Celtic tree carved on it while the other had a Celtic raven. Malcolm entered the cave. He could feel how heavy the energies felt in it. He approached the stones. He removed a switch blade from his belt. He was the one to believe in fairy tales but he was going to do it for the sake of his husband. 

He cut the palm of his hand. He placed his cut hand on the stone with the tree. "I wish for Fireman Sam to come and see Winter the day our child is born." He whispered. 

The tree rune on the stone began to glow faintly. A pair of boots fell behind him. Malcolm turned around. He spotted a cloaked figure standing in the dark. "Malcolm Williams..interfering with the will of the gods I see, old friend." chuckled the voice. 

"Sam?" 

The cloaked figure flickered and disappeared from view. Malcolm frowned. He moved his bloodied palm away from the stone. He wrapped his wound before heading back down the mountain. 

Two very long months go by

Winter howled in pain during the night hours. Malcolm flicked on the lamp. He turned over to face Winter. "Honey? What's wrong?" he asked worriedly. 

"Mal, I think the baby is coming." grunted Winter. 

Malcolm picked Winter up bridal-style. He quickly ran with him out of the house. He sprinted on foot to his sister's house. He began banging on the door. Helen answered it. She paled seeing Winter's state. "I need a lift." panted Malcolm. 

She nodded. "Lay him down in the back of the ambulance. We'll take him to Newtown Hospital." 

Malcolm laid Winter down in the back of his sister's ambulance. He climbed in with him. Helen closed the doors on them. Winter could feel his lower half squeezing. He howled in pain. "Hurry Helen!" shouted Malcolm. 

Helen pulled away from her house. She turned on her bright blue lights. Winter panted softly. He was drenched in sweat. "My body feels like it's burning. It's like she's trying to claw her way out." she whimpered. 

Malcolm took his mate's hand. "Don't worry. Your going to be fine. We'll be at the hospital in no time." 

Helen picked up the pace. She couldn't help but feel like somebody was watching them. She glanced at her rear view mirror to briefly see a cloaked figure glancing back at her. She paled and slammed on the brakes. 

"Helen? What's going on?" 

Helen blinked. As soon as she did, the cloaked figure disappeared. "I nearly hit a sheep."

"Well I would of let you get away with it considering we're on a time schedule here." 

Helen started the ambulance up again. She kept going. Winter had a death grip on his mate's hand. He let out an even louder scream. "It's coming!" 

Helen pulled off onto the side of the road. She got out. She opened up the back. She climbed in. She stripped Winter down. Winter parted his legs. "Okay. Push." instructed Helen. 

Winter pushed with his next contraction. He howled in pain. His hold on Malcolm's hand grew tight. Malcolm winced. He turned his head to see the cloaked figure standing near the edge of the ambulance. They remove their hood to reveal a flash of ginger hair. Malcolm smiled. "Sam..." 

Winter kept pushing. His baby was getting close to coming out. He spotted a familiar figure in the dark. "D-Dad?" he asked. 

Sam got close. He climbed inside silently. "Your doing good. Keep going." 

Winter nodded. He pushed again. Helen sat waiting for the kid to come out. She smiled seeing the head. "Almost. Keep going."

Winter screamed in pain which was followed up by the sound of a baby wailing. Winter slumped over. Helen picked up the baby. She cleaned it off. She swaddled it up in one of the blankets she had in the back. She handed the baby off to Winter. Winter smiled. "She's beautiful." he whispered. 

The baby had Winter's blonde hair. She looked a bit more like Malcolm than Winter. Winter held her close. He looked up at Sam. "Does grandad want to see his grand-baby?" 

Sam nodded. He sat by Winter and Malcolm. His cold hand touched the baby's cheek. He smiled. "I'm very proud of the two of you. I just know the both of you will be good parents." 

Sam's form began to fade. Winter whimpered. His ears went back. "Dad?" 

"Time's up. I've got to go. Please take care of Winter and the baby, Malcolm. I sense more trials for you and your new found family in the future." 

The last of Sam's form disappeared. Winter looked to Malcolm. "I went up to the cave on PontyPandy Mountain the night you told me you were pregnant." he explained. "I made a wish for him to be here to see our baby get born." 

Winter teared up. "That's the most lovely baby shower present anyone has ever given me." 

Malcolm smiled. "So, what are we going to name our baby girl?"

"Gracie. Gracie Williams." 

Malcolm took Gracie from Winter gently. He touched noses with her. "Welcome to the world, Gracie." 


	12. Serpents and Stars

Hoshi sat on top of the lobster pods. He watched as his dad finished loading the ship. "Right. I think we are ready for our fishing trip." 

Hoshi nodded. He looked up at the stars. "We've got clear weather tonight also." 

Charlie began moving the boat away from the dock. Hoshi kept his gaze on the stars. He took out his star map. He held it up. The constellation for Leo was shining brightly. He lowered his map. "Looks like Uncle Sam is watching over us." 

Charlie nodded sadly. "I bet he is." 

Charlie was still grieving over his fallen brother. He couldn't believe that within a short month, his brother had been taken from him. They had given Sam a viking funeral off the coast of PontyPandy. The boat sank in the center of the quay about an hour after it was sent out. Charlie touched the bit of uniform he had on the wall of his ship. He kept it there as a way of still having some part of Sam with him. 

Hoshi stood up. He went over to the edge of the boat. He noticed a pair of lights moving in the distance. "Lights, three o'clock. Proceed with caution."

Charlie snapped out of his haze. He slowed their pace down a bit. He glanced at the radar he had installed on his ship. A bright green dot appeared just to the West of them. It looked like whatever it was moving away from them. 

The shape that was watching them stopped. They waited until the small fishing vessel was a nice distance away before following in behind them. 

Charlie heard the radar beep again. He noticed a shape behind them. "Hoshi, I think we're being tailed." 

Hoshi turned around. He spotted a large dark grey ship barreling towards them. He growled. "Gun the engine, dad!" shouted Hoshi. 

Charlie picked up the pace. Hoshi watched the boat carefully. A loudspeaker on the boat starting hurling words at them in a language Charlie didn't recognize. "What are they saying?!" 

Before Hoshi could translate for his dad, a bright flash blinded him for a few moments. Their ship rocked as a missile slammed into it. Hoshi pushed his father onto the deck as it exploded. Their ship went up in flames. 

Bronwyn checked the time on her phone. She noticed that neither Charlie nor Hoshi had come back from their fishing trip. "Hmm. I'd better call the fire station."  
  
The alarms inside of the fire station started to go off. Penny and the others ran towards the poles. "Charlie and Hoshi Jones are missing at sea!" came Station Officer Steele's voice over the PDA.   
  
Penny looked to the rest of the team. "Arnold and Elvis, your with me. Ellie, stay here at the station in case we need back up! Ben can back us up on Titan."

"Rodger that, Penny!"

The firefighters headed down to the Ocean Rescue Center. They got changed into their ORC uniforms. Penny jumped aboard Neptune with Elvis while Arnold joined Ben on Titan. The group headed out to sea. Penny got on the radio. "Ben, you guys head North. We'll head South. Flare when you've found them."

"Rodger that, Penny." said Ben. 

The group split off into two separate directions. Penny fired up the radar. She paused for a moment to let it get a good scan of the area. Elvis tapped her on the shoulder. "Uh Penny, what is that?"

Penny looked to see Elvis pointing to a fire off in the distance. She paled. She started driving towards it. The fire was from parts of Charlie's boat being on fire. Penny slowed to a stop close to it. She tried to see if she couldn't find either one of them hiding in the cab. She got on the radio. "Penny to Ben, I've found them. Look for a fire off to the Northwest. Over and out." 

Elvis frowned. "Do you think they could be hiding around here?"

"I don't know. Let's keep looking." 

Penny began doing a circle around the wreckage. She spotted somebody hanging on for dear life off the side of the boat. She got up close to see Hoshi slumped over the side of it. Elvis reached up to help him down. He laid Hoshi down on Neptune. Hoshi was badly burned. Elvis checked him for a pulse. "He's got a pulse but it's very weak."

The two of them heard Ben blast his horn. Water started being sprayed onto the fire. Penny knelt by Hoshi. He looked super pale. His clothes were tore up. It looked like he may of been blown up by something. 

Titan managed to put the fires out. The group started to look for Charlie. They were torn when their search turned up empty. "Let's get Hoshi back to shore." said Penny. "Maybe he can tell us what happened when we get back."

Helen was on standby at the quay. She motioned for them to lay Hoshi down at one of the empty tables. She began treating his wounds. Hoshi gasped suddenly. He sat upright. He looked around. "Relax. Your okay." comforted Helen. 

Hoshi panted softly. He whimpered. "You guys have to help dad. He's been taken."

Penny looked at him. "By who?"

"There was this boat behind us." began Hoshi. "The next thing we knew, our ship got taken out by a missile. I saw Dad being lifted out of the water by those thugs. I tried to help him but was too late."

Ben frowned. "Pirates? This close to PontyPandy? That's not good." 

"They were yelling at us in Russian. I think those pirates knew me." added Hoshi. "Please Ben. You have to help him." 

"We'll try to. For right now, I want you to rest." instructed Ben. 

Hoshi whimpered. "It's all my fault. I didn't think my past would come back to haunt me." 

Ben stroked his hair. "It's okay. It's not your fault. I'll notify my friends in the Welsh Coastguard. Mean time." He looked up at Penny. "I think we should have the police keep a closer eye on the quay. It may take us some time to get help."

Penny nodded. "I honestly hope Charlie is okay."

"Knowing pirates, they won't be treating him fairly. Charlie's a very tough sailor though. I have no doubt in my mind that he's going to be just fine." 


	13. Flower Child

Malcolm heard giggling somewhere close to the bed. He stopped putting his boots on for a moment to look. "Alright. I know your here." 

A small blonde haired figure ducked down on the other side of the bed again. Malcolm laid backwards. He slowly reached down with his hands. He waited until his hands were on either side of the figure before clasping down on them. The figure let out a tiny shriek in surprise. "Gotcha!" shouted Malcolm. 

"Daddy! No fair!" whined Gracie. 

Malcolm lifted her up. He rubbed noses with her. She touched his cheek. "Are you leaving, Daddy?" 

"Yep. I have work today which means you get to hang out with Mother until I get back." 

"Yay!" 

Malcolm grinned. He set her down. He went back to putting his work boots on. He then took her hand and headed downstairs into the living room. Winter was sprawled out on the couch. Gracie ran over to him. "Daddy says I get to hang out with you."

Winter nodded. "Yep. Your father has work today but you get to play with him when gets back. Meanwhile, your stuck with your dear old mom." 

Gracie hugged Winter gently. She joined him on the couch. Malcolm slid his police vest over his shoulders. He looked at his dog tags which hung around his neck. He then looked at Gracie. "Gracie, come here a minute." 

Gracie walked over to her dad. Malcolm knelt down in front of her. He took his dog tags off. He then put them around her neck. "In case something happens to me, I'll always be with you." 

Gracie touched them gently. She hugged him tightly. Malcolm smiled. He held her close. He began to hum to her quietly. "Ah hoy. Ah hoy. Sweet daughter of sea. Ah hoy. This child be mine. The admiral's daughter. His whole entire world. For as long as stars do shine." 

He let go of Gracie. He kissed the top of her forehead. "Good to your mum for me." 

Gracie ran back over to the couch. She showed Winter the dog tags Malcolm had given her. Winter smiled slightly. He looked up at Malcolm worriedly. Malcolm went over to him. He kissed his forehead. "Just so I can always be close by." 

"I know. I just have this feeling of dread. You know I'd hate for my gut to be right." 

"Don't worry too much, love. I'm sure work will be slow and boring like usual." mused Malcolm. 

Winter nuzzled Malcolm's cheek. Malcolm heard Winter's tail wag happily on the couch. "Take care, dear." 

"I will. Bye Gracie." 

He hugged his daughter again. He then left the house. Gracie headed off to her room to play. She began singing the lullaby her father would sing to her. Winter listened out for her. 

The late afternoon hours came. Winter was in the kitchen making dinner for the whole household. He heard the lock move on the door. Gracie became alert to the noise too. Winter put his knife down. The lock unlatched from the door. The door then swung open slowly. Winter got in front of his daughter protectively. Gracie held onto her mother's leg. 

Malcolm walked in. He chuckled seeing the look of anger on Winter's face. "Babe, no offense, you are the least intimidating person on the planet." 

Winter sighed in relief. Gracie ran over to her dad. "Daddy!" she shouted. 

Malcolm caught her in his arms. "Hey kiddo." 

Gracie leaned against her father's neck. Malcolm rubbed her back. "You didn't give your mom any trouble, did you?"

"No. We played all day today." 

"And yet she's still not tired." mused Winter. He hugged his husband. "welcome home, love." 

Malcolm held the both of them. He then sat down on the couch with Gracie. Gracie curled up against her father's side. Winter smiled. "She's a total daddy's girl." 

"She loves her mom too." countered Malcolm. 

"I know but she's still a daddy's girl. It'll be a shame when she stops being that cute." 

Malcolm held Gracie tighter. "Don't remind me. Even then, she'll always be my baby girl." 

Winter smiled. He headed back into the kitchen. He started cooking again. Gracie fiddled with the dog tags on her neck. She turned them over. She read the text on them. 

_Constable Malcolm Williams_   
_PontyPandy Police Department_

She let them lay around her neck. She felt her dad rub her shoulder gently. "Did you catch any bad guys today?" she asked. 

"Nope. It was quiet as usual. Just the occasional sheep causing issue." 

"Naughty sheep." 

Malcolm smiled. He leaned his head against the back of the couch. Winter finished cooking. The three of them sat down at the table to eat. Before long, it was bed time. Gracie took her father's hand. She yawned. Malcolm picked her up gently. "Come here, bug." 

Malcolm took her upstairs to her room. Her tiny arms went around his neck. Malcolm laid her down in bed. He sat by her bedside. Gracie curled up under the blankets. Malcolm stroked her hair. He began singing his lullaby to her. 

Winter idled by the door frame. He leaned against the door frame. Gracie yawned. She closed her eyes. Winter watched as their daughter drifted off to sleep. Malcolm got up from the bed. He walked over to the door. He kept the door closed slightly. The two of them headed off to bed. 

Malcolm twitched lightly in his sleep. He sat upright in bed. He blinked tiredly. He tossed the blankets off his body. He stumbled off down the hallway. He headed for Gracie's room, almost as if he was being beckoned to it. He poked his head in. The window to Gracie's room was opened. His eyes widened when he discovered that Gracie was missing. 

"Winter! Wake up!" shouted Malcolm. 

Winter bolted upright in bed. "Hmm? What's wrong dear?"

He could see how pale and upset Malcolm looked. "Gracie. She's missing. She's not in her bedroom and the window was opened."

Winter whimpered quietly. He slid out of bed. "Calm down. Let me have a whiff of her room." 

Winter raced into his daughter's room. He began smelling the sheets. He detected another scent. It was a rather foul smelling scent. He then smelled over by the window. He found the same scent around it. "Got a scent. It smells heavily of death though." gagged Winter. 

"Is it strong enough so you can follow the scent?"

"Oh yeah. I wouldn't miss that. Wished I could. The inside of my nose is burning." 

Malcolm and Winter headed outside. Winter smelled around the window again. He wrinkled his nose in disgust. He changed into his half-blood form. He put his nose to the ground. Malcolm followed him. He managed to grab his baton from the house. 

The scent took Winter to the street corner. They heard a vehicle pull away quickly. Malcolm growled. He bolted after it. Winter took off after him. "HEY!" shouted Malcolm. "FREEZE!"

A figure leaned out of the window. They aimed a gun at Malcolm. The next thing Malcolm felt was something sharp implanting itself in his chest. Winter watched as his husband collapsed. He let out a sharp howl.

Malcolm watched his vision blur in and out. The van got further and further from sight. He lifted up his hand weakly. Blood leaked from the side of his jaws. A sharp howl rang through the air next to him. That was the last thing he heard before blacking out.

Winter carried Malcolm all the way to Helen's house. Malcolm bled all over his backside but he didn't care. Helen immediately got to work on her brother once he arrived. Winter sat by his mate's body quietly. Malcolm was barely holding in there. Winter stroked his hair gently. "Hang in there, love."

A solid two days had passed since Malcolm had been brought in. He showed some signs of improvement but by not much. Winter laid on his mate's chest to keep him warm. He felt Malcolm move underneath of him suddenly. He opened one eye to see Malcolm's hand twitch. He sat up. "Mal?"

Malcolm blinked open his eyes. He gasped sitting upright. He winced, holding his chest. "What? Where am I?"

"Your sister's house. You were bleeding out. You needed help."

Malcolm shook his head. He tried to get up. He found it hard with Winter on top of him still. "Our baby girl is out there. I need to get moving."

"Helen says you can't. Your body isn't ready for that yet."

"I don't give a damn!" yelled Malcolm.

Winter held Malcolm close. Malcolm sobbed into him. "I let her get taken. I need to find her."

"You can't go on a wound like that. You'll end up bleeding badly before you find her. You need to rest." Winter pushed his mate back down onto the couch. 

  
Malcolm knew Winter was right. He just couldn't rest with the thought of Gracie being tortured or worse. Winter laid on Malcolm again. Malcolm held Winter close to him. He closed his eyes. Tiredness took hold of him again. 

**I hope you guys are doing well thus far. I honestly wasn't going to update but I figured I couldn't pass up the opportunity to ring in the new year with some feels**

**Again Read/Comment/Vote**

**I'll see you guys on Sunday**

**-Den Mother**


	14. Fox's Heart

**Just a quick warning. Some sexy time dead ahead. Just saying. Don't read if you can't handle it like an adult**

**-Den Moother  
**

Malcolm and Winter sat perched by the fence. Malcolm was looking through his binoculars. Winter watched him. "Anything?" he asked quietly.

  
"You know, in the years of me working in the Big City, I'd never thought we'd be dealing with a cult-like group. These guys are wearing strange symbols on their clothing. Looks like they've given up the search for now though."  
  
"Are we going to follow them?"

  
"Yep. Keep low and silent."   
  
"Sneaky beaky." whispered Winter quietly.   
  
The two of them kept close to the fence. Winter peered over it. Malcolm grabbed him by the back of the vest. "Boy!" snapped Malcolm. 

"I wanted to see where they were going!" hissed Winter. 

"They're heading back towards the lake. We can capture them there." 

The boys followed the cult to the lake. They were beginning to leave. Malcolm readied his taser. He looked to Winter. "ready?"

Winter nodded. He swamped forms. He hopped the back fence. He began rushing in. Malcolm followed suit. "FREEZE!" he shouted. 

Winter tackled one of the cultists to the ground. He brought his fangs down on his neck. The cultists open fired on him. Malcolm discharged his taser into the one shooting at Winter. The man screamed and fell over. The rest of them fled. 

Malcolm took his cuffs off his belt. He slapped it on the guy's wrist. "Winter! Go get them!" he shouted. "I'll get this one to the station."

Winter nodded. He howled as he took off running after the ones fleeing the scene. The cultist struggled against his cuffs. Malcolm eyed him. "You can sit still until my Sergent arrives." Malcolm got on the radio. "Constable Williams to Sergent Ravani. Suspect captured. More fled the scene. Officer Price is in pursuit." 

"Good work, Constable. I'm on my way. Out." 

Malcolm looked down at the cultist. "Now. I want to know what you lot were doing at the lake and are you guys the ones trying to hurt Firefighter Morris?"

The cultist just spat at Malcolm. "I ain't sayin shit to you." 

Malcolm picked up his taser which was still attached to the man. He squeezed the trigger threateningly. The man's eyes widened. "Alright! alright! Yes! Yes we are! The little bitch escaped from our boss. She was supposed to marry him." 

"Marry him? Why?"

"They're both lightforged. It was supposed to finally save his species." 

Malcolm raised an eyebrow in confusion. He saw a pair of blue lights flashing in the distance. He smiled. Rose pulled up. Malcolm loaded the cultist into the back of the car. He climbed in on the passenger side. "We need to find Winter." 

Rose nodded. She gunned the engine. Malcolm kept the window rolled down in case Winter howled for them. 

The both of them heard a sharp howl the closer they got to the lake. Rose picked up the pace. "That sounded like Officer Price."

Winter was fighting somebody in a wolf mask. They already scratched Winter up really bad. Malcolm hopped out of the car. He darted over to his partner. He took his baton off his belt. He went for a swing. The man in the mask turned around. He held up his hand. A blast of energy sent Malcolm sliding across the ground. 

Winter snarled. He lunged at the figure. The figure sent the same energy at Winter. Winter suddenly couldn't move. He felt his body freeze in place. "You two stand no chance against me." 

Malcolm weakly stood up. He picked his baton off the ground. He lunged at the figure again. He struck the figure across the face. "LET HIM GO!" he bellowed. 

Rose ran over to them. She frowned. She watched as Malcolm and the figure sparred. The figure pulled out a strange blade. "CONSTABLE! LOOK OUT!" shouted Rose. 

Malcolm dodge rolled out of the way. The figure growled. He turned to Rose. He waved his hand. He used Rose's aura against her by lifting her up by the neck into the air. Rose began gagging and choking. She struggled to breathe. 

Malcolm growled. He went for the figure again. He caterwauled as he struck the figure dead on behind the head. The figure groaned as he fell forward. He released his hold on both Rose and Winter. 

Rose fell to her knees. She rubbed her neck. Malcolm raced over to her. "Sergent? You alright?"

"I'm fine, Constable. Thank you for your concern." She handed him another set of cuffs. "Use these to restrain him."

Malcolm nodded. He went back over to the masked figure. He slapped a pair of cuffs on him. He yanked the figure up. The figure just hung limply as Malcolm dragged them to the car. 

Meanwhile,

Ben watched over Penny. He found it hard to stay awake after a while. His head fell past his hand causing him to snap awake. He spotted Penny twitching gently. He quickly rushed over to her. He held her down. Penny whimpered softly in her sleep. Ben shook her awake. Penny gasped as she sat upright in bed. 

"Easy kitten. Your safe." comforted Ben. 

Penny whimpered. She leaned against Ben. Ben rocked her back and forth steadily. "Just relax. I'm right here." 

Penny slowly relaxed in his arms. She turned to face him. The two of them stared into each other's eyes. Ben leaned forward for a kiss. Penny followed suit. They began to make out in bed. Ben gently pushed her down. He got on top of her. He ran his hands down her petite body. 

Penny groaned quietly. She had no idea how long she was gone for but her body craved him. She pushed her hips against his achingly. She felt Ben grin. He pulled away. "Feeling frisky, are we?"

She nodded. Ben held her hips down. He kissed the base of her neck. "Soon, my love. Just let me finish getting you worked up first." 

Penny moaned as Ben rubbed her between the legs. Her moans got increasingly louder with each rub. Ben thought for a moment. "hang tight." 

Ben reached for a bit of cloth. He wrapped it around her mouth. Penny moaned muffedly into it. He grinned. "as much as I love hearing your angelic voice, I don't want you waking up the whole neighborhood." 

He opened her pants slightly just to tease her. Penny wiggled her hips in response. Ben rubbed her between the legs. He started fingering her through her underwear. Penny moved upwards a bit in bed. She moaned loudly. "Poor kitten. So helpless, huh?" cooed Ben. 

Ben slid his shirt off. He took Penny's off but used it as a means of keeping her wrists pinned to the headboard. He lowered her pants even more. He then took off her underwear. Ben opened his pants. 

Penny groaned softly as he entered her. She bucked her hips against his needingly. Ben pumped in and out of her. He kept her hips close to his. The both of them bumped and grind against one another. Ben could feel himself start to get close after a while. He shot his load in enough time for Penny to climax onto him. He freed her of her restraints. He removed the gag. He kissed Penny gently. 

The two of them cuddled down in bed. "Good night, Kitten." 

They ended up falling asleep, entangled in each other's arms. 


	15. Roundtable Rival

Charlie heard a pair of boots walking up to him. Blood trickled down the side of his head. He had an endured a week's worth of beatings. They were trying to break him. The boots stopped right in front of him. The man lifted up his chin. "Your really starting to test me."

Charlie just kept silent. The man let go of his chin. He let Charlie's head hang. Charlie felt him punch him upside the head again. Charlie coughed up blood. He looked up at the man. "I don't have time for you to be silent and not answer me!" The man struck Charlie this time much harder. Charlie's head rang. He began chuckling. 

The man grabbed Charlie by the top of the head. "What was that?" he growled. 

"I just find it ridiculous how you keep trying. As if I'm going to sell out my own son." mused Charlie. He spat blood on the man's face. The man snarled loudly. "Beating me isn't going to help your cause any." 

The man wiped Charlie's blood off his face. He struck Charlie again. Charlie just let his head hang afterwards. "Honestly, I could just kill you." 

"Then why don't you?" 

"Because your my ticket for finding my son." He kicked Charlie in the stomach. The blow actually sent Charlie sliding a few feet away. Charlie vomited blood onto the floor. He panted weakly. 

The man stood over him. "and I suggest you start talking." 

Hoshi got ready to find his dad. Ben approached him. "You ready?" 

Hoshi nodded. He stood up. "Let's go." 

The two of them boarded Titan. Hoshi waited for them to be out in the middle of the quay before jumping into the water. He shifted into his otter form. He followed alongside Titan. Ben saw Hoshi's shape appear on Radar. He followed the kid. 

Heat tickled the hair around Hoshi's muzzle. He picked up the pace. He swam away from Titan. Ben continued to watch him on the radar. 

Charlie panted softly on the ground. The man brought his boot down on Charlie's back. "are you going to behave?" 

Charlie uttered not a word. He called out when he felt pressure on his backside. "Perhaps I need to beat you again." 

The door to their room suddenly opened. "Sir. We've got a problem."

"Not now! I'm busy!" he snapped. 

"We've got an unknown ship heading right towards us." 

The man snarled. "Get the guns ready! We're taking no prisoners this time!"

Hoshi swam up to the surface. He put one paw on Titan before changing back. He gasped as his head broke the surface. He climbed up onto Titan. "Get me in close!" he shouted. 

Ben nodded. He gunned the engine. He drove Titan right up alongside the ship. Hoshi braced himself for boarding. Once Ben was in close, he leapt across onto the deck of the other ship. Hoshi heard somebody running towards him. One of the crew hands swung a blade at Hoshi. Hoshi dodged out of the way. He grabbed their wrist, twisting it. The man howled. He dropped his knife. Hoshi picked it up. He slammed the butt of it on the man's head before kicking him off the boat. 

Hoshi proceeded to the lower decks. He kept to the shadows. More crew members were running past him. Hoshi ducked into an empty room. He poked his head around the corner. "Dad?" he called quietly. 

Charlie heard somebody calling for him down the hallway. "Hoshi!" he panted. "In here!" 

Hoshi entered the room. He heard laughing. The man who had his dad hostage came out from a dark part of the room. "Well. Well. If it isn't the family disappointment."

"Let the old man go. This fight is between you and me." 

The man smiled. He took out a switchblade. The two of them began to circle each other like animals. Hoshi's eyes narrowed. The man took a swing at Hoshi. He struck Hoshi across the stomach harshly. Hoshi stumbled backwards. He then went for his attacker. He managed to slice the man from the top of the shoulder down across his stomach. The man howled in pain. "You little!"

Hoshi rushed over to his dad. He cut him free. "Go!" shouted Hoshi. 

Charlie nodded. He took off running. Hoshi turned on his former father. "I'm not going to let you hurt anyone anymore."

Hoshi's father growled. He lunged at Hoshi. His blade scraped Hoshi's shoulder harshly. Hoshi gritted his teeth. His eyes turned ready. He unleashed a flurry of blows onto his father. Blood hit the ground. He kicked his father in the chest, sending him across the ground. Hoshi then turned tail. He chased after Charlie. 

The both of them reached the top of the deck. They were just about to board Titan when they heard a gun go off. Charlie fell forward onto Titan. Hoshi's eyes widened seeing the bullethole on his dad's back. "Dad!" he shouted. 

Hoshi's dad waddled onto the deck. He took aim at Hoshi. Hoshi's eyes narrowed. He lunged at his dad. He managed to knock the gun out of his hand. He planted his blade right in the man's chest. He cut down before kicking him over. Hoshi heard his dad take his last breath in front of him. "Hoshi! We have to go!" yelled Ben. 

Hoshi jumped onto Titan. He knelt by Charlie's side. Charlie was holding on by a thread. He looked up at Hoshi. He smiled weakly. "Dad, I'm so sorry. I never meant for this to happen." whimpered Hoshi. "I promise you. Once we get back to shore, Helen will take good care of you."

Charlie touched Hoshi's cheek. "I'm so proud of you. You've come along way. I remember the first day we found you." 

Hoshi searched his dad's eyes. He held him close. He put pressure on his wound. Charlie blacked out in his son's arms. 

The three of them made it back to PontyPandy. Hoshi had Charlie's blood all over his lap. Helen met up with them on the quay. She got to work on fixing Charlie up in the cafe. Hoshi had hold of his mom. They watched him worriedly. Helen stood up. "He'll be fine."

Bronwyn put a hand over her heart. "thank the gods." 

Hoshi let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Helen. I owe you big time." 

She smiled. "Think nothing of it. Have a good night." 

Hoshi went over to his dad once she left. He knelt by the couch. Charlie was resting. He had a rather peaceful look on his face. Bronwyn laid a blanket over her husband. The two of them then left him to rest. 


	16. Of Lions and Men

Renee had been sitting at home when she heard the front door open. She perked up seeing her dad walk in his firefighting uniform. "Daddy!" she shouted as she raced over to him.   
  
Sam silently held his daughter. Tears were in his eyes. Renee looked up at him. The smile faded. "Daddy? What's wrong?" she asked. "Did work go okay?"   
  
Sam looked at her. He teared up more. He held her close. Renee leaned against him. She wrapped her arms around his neck. He soon let go of her. He made her face him. "How can I say this? Uhh.." His voice shook. "I've lost my job."   
  
Renee paled. "But...why?"  
  
"Daddy made a mistake. He put people in danger." He said simply.   
  
Renee hugged her dad. Sam picked up Renee. He carried her over to the couch. The two of them sat in silence. Sam took his firefighting jacket. He let Renee lay on his chest again. "What's going to happen now?" asked Renee.   
  
"I..I don't know. We'll figure something out. I promise."   
  
Renee went off to play after a bit. Sam stared at the wall. He couldn't believe he had been fired from his job of 30 years. He knew he had screwed the winch on tightly. He placed his face in his hands. Now he had to figure out how to take care of Renee.   
  
Charlie knocked on the door to his brother's house quietly. Sam answered it. Charlie saddened seeing how broken his brother looked. "Oh Sam..."   
  
Charlie hugged his brother tightly. "I promise you. It does get better. Right now, we just need to keep you on your feet." he whispered.   
  
"I lost everything, Charlie. I'm a horrible person." sobbed Sam. "I could of killed someone."   
  
"No Sam. I refuse to believe that. It was a freak accident. They shouldn't of fired you over that."   
  
Sam sniffed. He let go of his brother. Charlie made him look at him. "Bronwyn and I have a room set up for you and Renee. Please say you'll come live with us." he begged.   
  
"Why? I'll only end up hurting you."   
  
"Samuel, we're brothers. I'm not scared of you. I doubt you would lay your hands on me even if you wanted to." Charlie searched his brother's eyes. "Please?"   
  
Sam sighed. "Alright."   
  
Charlie smiled. He let go of his brother. "C'mon. I'll help you get your things."   
  
Sam had Renee in his arms. He followed his brother to the cafe. The three of them walked in silence. Sam was combating his own storm internally. Betrayal plagued his heart. His own boss had let him go without allowing Sam to explain himself. Renee touched her father's cheek. Sam leaned into her touch quietly. 

Charlie took Sam upstairs. He showed them to their bedroom. Sam set Renee down so she could get settled. Charlie placed a hand on Sam's shoulder. "Don't worry about food and other things. Bronwyn and I have got it. Just let us know if you need something. Okay?" 

Sam nodded quietly. He sat down on the edge of the bed. Charlie left his brother alone to get settled. Sam placed his face in his hands. Renee picked up on her dad's distress. She crawled over to him. She held onto him. Sam held her close. 

Sam could hardly sleep that night. He stroked Renee's hair quietly as she slept. He turned his head to stare out the window. The moonlight had lit up the quay. _I don't think I can stay in PontyPandy. It'll be too awkward and painful. I don't know how I'll care for Renee. It may take ages before I can find work._ Sam's mind was racing. _Why did I agree to do the safety checks? Why didn't I just say no?  
_

Sam got up from the bed. He figured he needed air. He headed out to the quay. He stood near the railing. He watched the waves below. He tried to keep from tossing himself off the quay. Sam closed his eyes. He let out a shaky sigh. The sea brought a strange sense of calmness.   
  
"What's up, Uncle S?"   
  
Sam jumped. He turned around to see Hoshi standing behind him. His yellow eyes glew in the moonlight. Sam placed a hand over his heart. "Can you not?" 

"Sorry. I forget that your so much like my dad." he mused.   
  
Hoshi stood by his Uncle at the pier. "So. What's got you in a slump, eh?"   
  
"I lost my job." muttered Sam.   
  
Hoshi looked up at him. "Why? What did you do?"  
  
"I didn't do anything!" snapped Sam. "I got pinned for something I didn't do. Boyce didn't even allow me to explain myself."  
  
"I hate Boyce and his big dumb face." growled Hoshi. "I knew that man was nothing but trouble."   
  
He placed a hand on his Uncle's shoulder. "You know...peak season is coming up. You could always work at the warehouse if you wanted to. May help with those bills piling up."   
  
"Are you sure they would take me?"  
  
"It's Cynical. They'll take anyone." scoffed Hoshi.   
  
"Thank you, Hoshi." Sam leaned against the railing.   
  
"Any time." Hoshi looked out over the water. "Just remember. There are plenty of jobs in the sea. I'm sure you could work as a firefighter elsewhere if you wanted to. Maybe in a different country."   
  
The two of them stood in silence. Hoshi rubbed behind his head gently. He groaned tiredly. "I really should head inside." He patted his Uncle's shoulder. "Good talking to you though. Just think on my offer. We really could use a man like you."   
  
Sam watched as his nephew walked into the cafe. He then looked back out at the sea. _At least if I work with Hoshi, I'd have a job. I could stockpile the money. Be able to get us out that way._ Sam began formulating a plan. _I have to care for Renee. She's my world now.  
_

Sam stayed outside for another hour before heading back inside. He laid back down in bed. Renee curled up close to her dad. Sam closed his eyes. He tried to get some rest. He fell into a dreamless sleep. 

Sam woke up the next day. He began filing out applications to various jobs outside of PontyPandy. He then sent an application off to Cynical, which was the Warehouse that Hoshi is working at. He closed the lid to his laptop. "Done." he leaned back in his chair.   
  
Bronwyn sat a cup of tea down on the table for him. She smiled. "I hope you manage to land something."  
  
"Me too, Bronwyn, me too." 

Sam ate lunch quietly. He could hear Renee playing in their room. James and Sarah had went off to Helen's. Hoshi came stumbling in. He yawned. He plopped down in his chair. "Morning Uncle S." 

"Afternoon, Hoshi." 

"Is it afternoon? Damn. I must of overslept again." Yawned Hoshi.   
  
Sam smiled slightly. He took a sip of his tea. Hoshi scratched his side. He blinked tiredly. "Have you decided whether or not your going to come work with me?"

Sam nodded. "I just filed an application."

"Cool. Hope you get the job. It's fun once you know what the hell your doing. Now I get to work at my other fun job. Dealing with Ben's shit until nightfall."

Sam chuckled. "You know you like working for him."

"Yeah. That I do. Though it's hard to talk about rescuing now when your God-tier Uncle is no longer doing it." 

Sam waved his hand dismissively. "Don't let me be a wet blanket. Just enjoy what you do." 

"Thanks." Hoshi got up from the table. He got to work on making himself something to eat. 

Sam headed down to the park, later on that afternoon. He sat underneath of the awning. He watched the sun set on the horizon. He heard a set of footsteps approach him. "I knew I would find you here." mused Charlie. 

"Hey Charlie. Don't mind me. Just trying to gather my thoughts." muttered Sam. 

Charlie sat with his brother. "Can I have a penny for your thoughts?"

"I thought about leaving PontyPandy, Charlie." 

Charlie did a double take. He looked at his brother. "You what?"

"I said I thought about leaving PontyPandy. It's far too awkward for me to be here." 

"I see..but you don't have a job. At least not yet. Where would you go?"

"You know Katryn? I may just live with her until I can secure a place for Renee and I. I can't ask you to look after us. You already have a family and a business to run."

Charlie placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "You know I don't have a problem taking care of you, right? We're family. It's what we do." 

"I know. I just didn't want to seem like a burden."

"You aren't a burden. Are you sure you want to go live with Katryn? I mean she's a handful."

"Yes. It may be best if I left town. That way I don't go AWOL whenever I see Jupiter pass by." 

Charlie frowned. He hugged his brother. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too." 


	17. Lost Flower

Gracie had a nasty gash above her forehead. A man had struck her for simply knocking a bowl over. She sniffed quietly. She gently touched it only to wince. She sat in a room by herself. Her clothes were stained in blood. Her body ached from having been beaten. The men who captured her were taking turns torturing her. 

Gracie looked out the window. She could make out the city lights in the distance. They had taken her a long way. She knew she wasn't anywhere close to home. The one image in her mind that kept replaying was her dad being shot. She remembered hearing the gun as it struck her dad dead in his chest. She whimpered quietly.   
  
"Child! Are you in there?!" barked a voice.   
  
Gracie immediately bolted over to the door. She answered it. A man with black hair stood on the other side of it. He had one of those contraptions that allowed them to capture dogs. "Good. Come with me." He grabbed her by the arm harshly.   
  
Gracie stumbled after him. His grip started to hurt her arm. She fought against him. That earned her a firm blow across the face. Gracie coughed up blood. The man tugged at her arm again. He dragged her along. "You better be on your best behavior today. We've got a nice buyer who wants to spend some quality time with you."   
  
Gracie gulped. Buyer? Who wanted to buy her? She whimpered softly. "I don't want to go. I want to go home."   
  
"Well wherever this man lives will be your home. You better get used to it."   
  
The man shoved Gracie down into a chair. He put a collar around her neck. "Stay here like a good little girl."   
  
Gracie stayed very still. She didn't like this. She wanted nothing more than to go home to her family. Her heart was doing flips in her chest.   
  
The man came back with another man in tow. This man looked very familiar to Gracie. Gracie let out a scream when she realized who it was. Norman smiled. "Hello sweetheart."  
  
"No! Get away! Get away!" Gracie struggled against her restraints.   
  
Norman grabbed her by the cheeks. "Shh. I wouldn't recommend you scream. At least not yet." he chuckled.   
  
Gracie struggled to get out of his grasp. The man helped Norman load Gracie into the back of his car. Gracie banged on the window. She wanted out. She didn't want to go with her Uncle. She watched as Norman slipped some sort of payment into the man's hand. Norman then got in his car. He smiled creepily at Gracie.   
  
Gracie watched as they pulled away from the site. She held herself. 

Malcolm spent the next week recovering. He grabbed his baton and his taser. He then put on his bullet proof vest. He was going after the men who took his baby. Winter got ready as well. "You aren't going alone."   
  
"I know and I can't convince you to stay home otherwise." Malcolm attached his weapons to his belt. "You ready?"   
  
"Ready as I'll ever be."   
  
The both of them went outside. Winter took a whiff from Gracie's baby blanket. He smelled the air. "I have a scent but it's faint." 

Malcolm nodded. He got on top of his bike. Winter changed into his dog form. He took off running ahead of Malcolm. Malcolm followed in behind him. Winter stopped every so often to lock onto the scent. He picked up the pace. 

Winter lost Gracie's scent after a while. He whined looking at Malcolm. They were halfway to Newtown. Malcolm thought for a moment. He watched as Winter tried to smell for her again. He took off running once he got the scent. Malcolm followed him again. 

Gracie's faint scent trail took them to an abandoned cabin in the woods. Malcolm got off his bike. Winter started smelling around the cabin. He growled. He could smell her. He looked up at his mate. Malcolm nodded in understanding. He took his taser off his belt. He kicked the front door open. 

Malcolm entered the cabin. He could hear somebody sobbing close by. "Gracie?" he called softly. 

A pair of chains rattled from the loft above him in response. Malcolm quickly raced upstairs. He found his daughter tied to the floor. She looked starved. Her clothes were in tatters. She teared up. "I'm sorry! I won't do it again!" 

"Gracie. Honey. It's alright. It's just me. Your dad." comforted Malcolm. He grabbed his baton. He went to smash the chains with it. 

Gracie whimpered softly. "I thought you were dead. I saw them shoot you."  
  
Malcolm took another swing at the chains again. "No. Not now. Not ever." The chains finally snapped. He picked Gracie up gently. "I'm going to get you out of here." 

Malcolm raced outside. Winter paled seeing the state their daughter was in. Malcolm got on his bike. He pulled away from the cabin. They headed back to Helen's house. 

Helen patched Gracie up gently. Malcolm sat by his daughter. He held her hand the entire time. Gracie leaned against her dad. "Daddy, am I a bad girl?"

"No. Why do you think that?" 

"The man that had me said I was a bad girl. That's why he beat me." 

Malcolm growled quietly. He clenched his fist. He sighed. "Well you won't have to endure that anymore. I promise you. I'm going to go after the men that did this."

Gracie looked down. "They sold me to Norman."

Winter paled. His ears went back. His own brother was involved in slave trade? He looked to Malcolm. Malcolm's gaze grew cold for a moment. "Is that so?"

Gracie nodded. "He touched me in my no-no square whenever I wouldn't do as he asked. He then left me in the cabin to die." 

That's when Winter couldn't listen anymore. He stepped outside. He felt sick. He couldn't believe that his own brother would do such a horrible thing. Malcolm sighed. Helen finished fixing her up. "I can run a kit on her if you want me to, Malcolm."  
  
"Please do. It'll help us in our case against Norman. I've got to talk to Winter."

Helen nodded. She took Gracie upstairs. Malcolm headed outside to talk to his husband. Winter had his face in his hands. "I'm sorry, Malcolm. I never wanted this to happen."

"Winter, your brother being an asshole isn't your fault. You can't blame yourself for having a shitty brother." 

Malcolm sat with Winter on the step. He placed a hand on his husband's shoulder. "we'll get through this together. Helen is running a kit on Gracie. That's one bit of evidence we'll have against your brother." 

Winter nodded quietly. He hugged his mate tightly. Malcolm rubbed his back. He was going to bring Norman to justice. No matter what it took. 


	18. Tusk Love

When Sam passed away, Rose offered to look after Renee. Renee was weary of Rose at first but steadily grew close to her.   
  
Renee was now eighteen. Her ginger hair grew to shoulder length. She kept some of it in a bun. The white streaks covered her bangs. She started to look more like her dad versus her mom. Renee moved a strand of hair out of her face as she looked at herself in the mirror.   
  
She heard a knock on her bathroom door. "Renee, are you ready?" asked a female voice.   
  
"Yes Mama."   
  
Renee opened the door. Rose stood on the other side of it. She was dressed in her Sergent's uniform. Rose smiled at her. She placed her hands on Renee's shoulder. "You look beautiful, Nija."  
  
Renee smiled. Rose touched her cheek. "Hard to believe your all grown up."   
  


"I'm still pretty childish, Mama." countered Renee.   
  
Rose saw Renee's face fall. "It's just a shame that dad never had a chance to see me grow up."   
  
Sam's death had been hard on Renee. She wanted nothing more than to have her dad by her side again. Rose held Renee close. "I wish he had seen you grow up too. We all do but." She placed a hand on Renee's chest. "He'll always be with you. Right here." 

Renee nodded. The two of them pulled away from each other. Rose put on her police cap. "we'd better get going. I can drop you off at your workplace on the way."

Renee started work in PontyPandy at a newly established bookstore. The bookstore was called "The Dragon's Hoard". It was owned by Celeste's daughter, Gigabyte. Renee loved working with her. The slow business days they had meant Renee had plenty of time to read some of the books that were in the store's collection. 

Rose pulled up outside of the store. "The Dragon's Hoard" was written in bright gold lettering against a purple background. Renee turned to face Rose. "Thanks for the ride." 

"No problem. Take care. I'll see you later." 

Renee headed inside. The bell above the door chimed softly. The store smelled of incense and leather. Renee spotted somebody moving around in the back. A large white scaled dragon moved amongst the towering piles of books they had. They turned their head. They smiled seeing Renee. "Morning."

"Morning Gigabyte. Where did you want me this morning?" 

"Just stand behind the counter and look pretty. I've also left something on the counter that I thought would be fun for the both of us to read." 

Renee headed to the counter. She spotted a small novel sitting behind it. It had a human posing rather seductively in front of a half-orc. She blushed when she realized what it was. "Did you seriously just put Tusk Love on the counter?"

"What? Can't handle a little smut?"

"No! I can! I just don't think this one is appropriate to read at the moment!" snapped Renee all flustered. 

Gigabyte smiled at her. "Listen, it's been a slow ass morning. I doubt anyone is going to hear us read this out loud." 

Renee sighed. She picked up the novel. She started reading from it. Gigabyte rested her head on Renee's shoulder. "The gentle summer sun beat down on the open cart as it bumped over the Amber Road. Guinevere Bethrum sat in the back, crowded by her father's good and their entire, meager estate. She was supposed to be protecting the goods from loss or damage, but instead, her mind was wandering as she stared blankly at that road passing behind them. How she wished that her feet could fly her back to... anywhere.

It wasn't that she was ungrateful for her father and everything he had done for her all her life; far from it. The life of a traveling merchant was not easy, and if she was tired of it, she knew that her father had to be exhausted. It was just that the moment she started to get comfortable anywhere, they would have to pack up everything and move on. The constant movement made it very difficult for her to start living her own life. If her mother were still there to take care of her father, Guinevere would've just taken her things and settled down in one of the towns they visited. Perhaps Zedash." read Renee aloud. She groaned. "Gigs, do I seriously have to do this?"

Gigabyte took the book from Renee. She smiled at her. "Yes. It's a great way to pass the time. Besides I'm reading some of it too." Gigabyte then continued reading. "Guinevere!" That was when she realized that her father, Grerkor, had called to her at least three times. "You're supposed to be watching the cart. Not day dreaming."

"Sorry, father." She could swear that she heard him call her a silly girl under his breath again. It was days like this that made Guinevere feel like her father cared more for his goods than her.

"Do you see anything?"

"Just dead grass and rocks." Grerkor would ask if Guinevere saw anything every hour, on the hour when they were on the road. Ever since her mother was taken, he became a paranoid man. If it weren't the promising money that he always said they would make in their travels, Guinevere was certain that he would've locked himself and her up in a home in the middle of nowhere. That was the one fate that was worse than her traveling lifestyle; at least as merchants, her prison was mobile."

The two of them proceeded to go back and forth through the chapter. They were both red in the face from laughing. It was the afternoon hours before long. The bell above the door chimed. Gigabyte was up on the ladder with the smutty book in her claws, reading another passage from it. "Slamming the door behind him, Oskar sauntered into the room and roughly wrapped his bulging arms around her petite body. How his large muscles fit perfectly around her curves, Guinevere would never know. He lifted her a foot off the ground as he tightened his grip to just before the point of crushing her. A callused hand crawled its way up her body before the fingers tangled in her hair and gently pulled, tipping her head back. His hot breath against her neck made her go limp in his arms while his grazing tusks made her shiver. That tongue darted out of his lips to taste, her soft milky flesh. Was the steam from the bath making Guinevere's vision hazy? Or was it these incredible, new sensations? It felt like her body was on fire, but she still wasn't warm enough. She craved more heat—his heat." 

Renee chuckled. She then paled when she saw her mom walk in. She placed her face between her hands. Gigabyte looked down. "Oh hey, Serg." 

"So this is what you and my daughter do all day?" she chuckled. 

"No! It's not like that!" replied Renee muffedly through her hands. 

Rose lofted an eyebrow. "I don't know why your upset. I've heard worse. You forget who I work with." 

Renee looked up. The poor thing was blushing. "I didn't want you to think that your daughter just reads porn all day." 

Rose took her hands. "You can do whatever you want with your life now that your an adult. Just as long as your safe and your making good decisions. I can't judge you for what you do." 

"T-Thanks mom. Again. I'm sorry." 

Rose smiled slightly. "My dear child, if only you knew about my marine days. I used to read books worse than that." 

"Mother!" blushed Renee. 

Gigabyte was howling. She had to slide down to join them. "I like your mom already." 

"Gigabyte, do you have the book "A Willow's Kiss?"" asked Rose. 

"I might. Why? Was that one of the ones you read?" teased Gigabyte. 

"Of course. What else was I supposed to be doing as I waited to go out on patrol?" mused Rose. 

Gigabyte patted Renee's shoulder. "Let me see if I can scare up that book." She then slithered off. 

Renee let out a shaky sigh. Rose chuckled. "I may be old but I am not blind to what you kids do in your off time. Once she gets back, you and I can go." 

Renee nodded. She couldn't keep eye contact with her adopted mom. Gigabyte came back with the book in question. "Is it this one?" 

Rose examined the cover. "Yep. How much do I owe you?"

"Oh. It's on the house. Keep it. I haven't been able to get rid of it. Well I haven't been able to get rid of most of them. Enjoy." 

Renee followed Rose out of the store. The youngster managed to compose herself. Rose drove Renee back to their house. She still had a smirk on her face. "Chin up, dear. At least the owner seems to like me."

"I just didn't think you were that kind of person." 

"Who I am and who I choose to be are no one's business. I may come off as strict but I do have a laid back side." 

"I get that. I just..you know?" 

"I know. It's a surprise to everyone. You shouldn't be afraid of showing people who you really are. Remember that, nija."

"I will. Thank you, mother." 


	19. Savage

It was a dangerous time for half-bloods. Rumors started to spread that a deadly illness was causing half-bloods to go savage. The police department in PontyPandy put some of their cells aside in case they had to quarantine either Winter or Hoshi. The cells were reinforced to deal with their rage. 

Malcolm noticed that Winter was behaving strangely. The slightest thing would set him off. He also became a lot more withdrawn. Malcolm grew rather concerned. He gently held his mate from behind. Winter leaned against his chest. "What's wrong with me?" wondered Winter out loud. 

"I'm not sure, dear. Maybe we should get you checked out? Helen or Lizzie would have a clue." suggested Malcolm. 

Winter nodded quietly. "I think it actually might be better for me to see Lizzie."

"Let's go see Lizzie then."

The two of them swung by Lizzie's clinic. After about a couple of moments of waiting, Lizzie examined Winter. She took a few samples from him. Winter could feel himself getting irritated again. A thin red filter steadily grew over his eyes. Winter let out a low growl. He then shook his head. Malcolm looked at him worriedly. "Winter? You okay."

Winter whimpered softly. "It's happening again. I don't know how to explain it. It's like everything in this room is pissing me off." 

Malcolm slide off his green jacket. He then covered Winter's eyes with it. "There. Let's try this." 

Smelling Malcolm's scent calmed Winter. His tail thumped happily on the table. Malcolm chuckled. "better?"

"Loads." 

Lizzie came back in after a while. She had a grave look on her face. "I'm afraid I have some bad news. Winter has gotten the same illness that's been afflicting half-bloods the past few months." 

Malcolm paled. Winter stopped wagging his tail. He removed Malcolm's jacket from his eyes. "Please tell us your kidding." 

She shakes her head. "I wish I was. That's what your blood test results said. It also isn't helped by the fact that your pregnant again." 

Malcolm groaned. That meant the baby was in danger too. Winter whimpered. "I don't want to go Savage. I don't want to hurt anybody." 

Malcolm went to comfort Winter. Winter just curled up. "Mal, please don't touch me. I may end up hurting you." 

"Winter.."

Winter felt a rush of anger hit him. "I SAID! STAY BACK!" he bellowed. He turned on Malcolm. 

Lizzie reached for something in one of her drawers. She ran over to him. Winter took a swipe at her. He managed to clock her across the face. Lizzie winced. She held her cheek. Winter realized what he had done. He held his hand. "I'm..I'm sorry. I..I didn't mean to. I." He then took off running. 

"Winter!" shouted Malcolm. 

Winter bolted for the woods. He could see his vision fading in and out of focus. He suddenly couldn't breathe. He panted looking around. He couldn't think. He didn't know where to go. 

A bright white van came down the road. It stopped about halfway. An older male stepped out of the van. Winter laid in the middle of the road. He yelped when he felt a hand grab him by the scuff. The figure dragged him over to the back of the van. Winter wiggled around in his grasp. "Let go of me!" he snapped. 

"Not going to happen. A certain somebody wants to see you." The figure tossed Winter into the back. 

Winter began pawing on the door. He felt the van move. He whimpered. He looked out the window. "Malcolm.."

Malcolm searched for hours to find Winter. He went home with a heavy heart. He clenched his shirt close. He could smell his husband's scent on it. Gracie came running out of her room. "Daddy!" 

Malcolm held Gracie in his arms. He rubbed her back. Tears formed in his eyes. Gracie picked up on her father's distress. "Daddy? Are you okay? Where's Mommy?" 

"Mommy is gone. I don't know where she went. She got told she wasn't feeling well. I searched everywhere."

"Do you think Mommy could of been stolen?" questioned Gracie. "Like I was?" 

Malcolm paled. "that could be a possibility but who would want to take her?"

"Norman.."

Malcolm held Gracie tighter. He thought for a moment. "Gracie, I'm going to take you to your Aunt Helen's okay? I need to find your mother." 

Gracie looked up at him. "What if something bad happens to you?" 

"Then your Aunt Helen will take care of you, okay?" Malcolm knelt in front of her. "Just stay with her. Don't give her a hard time."

Gracie nodded. She raced off to her room. She grabbed her plush German Shepherd. She handed it to him. "Arfus will protect you." 

Malcolm smiled. He stuck the plushie in his pocket. He picked her up. He took her to Helen's house. He hugged his daughter one last time. "Take care, kiddo. I'll be home before you know it." he whispered. 

Gracie held onto her dad. She leaned her head against his neck. He then pulled away. He looked up at Helen. "Please look after her."

"I will. Be careful, Little Brother." 

Malcolm grinned. He headed back into town. Helen took Gracie inside. 

Malcolm walked into the police station. Rose looked up at him. "Malcolm? What are you doing here? I thought you had the day off."

"Winter is missing, Rose. I can't look for him by myself. I need help." 

Rose nodded. "Let's do a bit of backtracking here. What happened?"

"I took Winter to Lizzie's today because he said he wasn't feeling well. Turns out he has the same illness that's causing half-bloods to go crazy. He got scared and fled. I tracked him all over the valley but I can't seem to find him. I'm starting to think he got taken." 

"Hmm. That's not good. We need to head back to the clinic and start our search there."

The two of them went to the clinic. Malcolm started scanning the ground for clues. He noticed a pair of paw prints leading towards Newtown Road. "Why didn't I notice this sooner?" 

Rose looked over his shoulder. "The shock of Winter running off probably clouded your judgement, Constable." 

Malcolm touched the paw prints. They were still fresh. He followed the tracks up to the road. A pair of tiremarks sat close to where Winter's paw prints ended. Malcolm frowned. "Those belong to a van which means he was taken." 

"Right. Let's head back to the station. We need to formulate a plan." 

Malcolm and Rose went back to the station. Malcolm was on edge. He wanted to find Winter quickly. Rose could sense this. "Just breath, Constable. I know you want to rush into this head first but we lack a location." 

"I'm just worried for him. I hate to keep him waiting. Especially if she's going to do something to him." 

"Patience, Constable. Now the only clues we have are tracks. Both appear to be heading towards Newtown. I think we should begin our search there. With our luck, maybe somebody saw something that could point us in the right direction." 

Malcolm nodded. "but if we both go, that leaves PontyPandy without a police force. One of us will have to stay here." 

"Very true. I guess that was an after thought. Okay. I'll stay behind to keep PontyPandy safe. Constable, the only thing I ask is that you keep yourself alive out there. The road will only get dangerous from here."

"I will. I'll call for backup in Newtown if I need it." Malcolm stood up. He walked out of the station. He grabbed his bike. His hand went towards his pocket. The plush Gracie had given him was still there. He gave it a gentle squeeze. _Don't worry, Baby girl. We'll both be home before you know it._


	20. Rose and Lion

Rose sat out in the living room. She had the cheesy romance novel she purchased from The Dragon Hoard in her lap. She found silent comfort within the pages. The story brought back memories for her. The front door opened. A very pale Renee walked in. Rose closed her book. "Nija? What's wrong?" 

Renee just stared at her. Rose frowned. She put the book on the coffee table. She motioned for Renee to sit with her on the couch. "Did something happen?" prompted Rose again. 

"How much do you know about my dad?" rasped Renee. 

"Not that much other than he was very secretive. Why?" asked Rose. 

"I had a man walk in claiming to be Sam's dad. He wanted me to go and work for Pol-Tec. He got angry when I refused."

Rose felt angry. "Well I guess I'll have to have a word with Sam's dad. Did you get a name?" 

"Arthus Peyton Jones." 

"Hmm, I'll have to look into this man's history. In the mean time, you did good by refusing to work for your mother's old company." She gently touched Renee's shoulder. 

Renee smiled. "Thanks mama."

Rose waited for Renee to go to bed before doing research on Arthus. She managed to find an entry for him in their database. "Arthus Peyton, Software Developer. Had a son by the name of Samuel Peyton and a daughter by the name of Ashley Peyton. Left his wife in favor of his work. Arthus worked for Creakwood before they mysteriously vanished and is now working for Pol-Tec." She read aloud. "This can't be good. I wonder what sort of software he was developing?"

She decided to go further into the database. She found out that Arthus developed the obedience program for half-bloods. The program was designed to reprogram a half-bloods DNA into making them more obedient. He also developed the same software for the implants that were used.

Rose felt a rush of anger. She now understood why Arthus wanted Renee. He wanted her to help continue his work. Rose tapped her fingers on her desk. She had to keep Renee safe. She thought carefully about what she was going to do. She decided to email Arthus. 

_**To Arthus,  
** _

_**I don't know what game you think you are playing but I won't have you threatening Renee. She does not wish to be associated with her mother's legacy. I suggest you leave her alone the next time you see her. You most certainly don't want the police to have you on their radar. Consider this your final warning.** _

_**\- Sergent Rose Ravani** _

Rose put her laptop away. She headed upstairs to rest. She checked on Renee. Renee was resting peacefully. Rose walked down the hallway to her room. She laid down on her bed. She fell into a dreamless sleep. 

Rose woke up to the sound of her alarm going off. She sniffed as she disabled it. A heavy knock came at the door. "I've got it!" shouts Renee. 

Renee headed downstairs. She quickly answered the door. A long, ginger haired male stood at the door. He had the same eye color as her dad. She paled. It was the man from yesterday. "Hello Renee." he purred. 

"Um Hello."

"Why don't I come inside and discuss a few things with you, hm?"

"I don't know. That would be up to Rose. Let me go get her." She closed the door. She quickly locked it again. 

Renee ran upstairs. "Mama! It's the man from yesterday!"

Rose immediately sat upright. She quickly bolted out of her room. "Okay. Stay in my room. Don't move until I saw." ordered Rose. 

Renee nodded. She ducked into her mother's room. Rose grabbed her taser. She carefully tucked it under her shirt. She made her way downstairs. She looked through the peephole to see Arthus still standing there. "Who goes there?" asked Rose. 

"Arthus Peyton Jones of Pol-Tec. I've come to do a bit of bargaining with Renee Jones. May I come inside?" 

Rose hesitated for a second. She opened the door. "Okay but no funny business."

Arthus walked inside. It was like letting a python into her home. His eyes scanned her living room. "what a lovely little home. I always wanted to know what the inside of a house in PontyPandy looked like." 

Rose watched him. She kept silent. He sat down in her recliner. He folded his legs over each other all while folding his hands into his lap. His blue eyes were those narrow, snake-like slits. Rose immediately felt uneasy. She could taze the man right now. "So, where is that lovely granddaughter of mine?"

"She's upstairs getting ready. She takes a bit of time." said Rose simply. 

"I applaud your kindness it taking care of her, Sergent. I didn't realize that Renee already had a place to live sorted." 

"I was rather close to Samuel before the time of his death. I couldn't leave his daughter to fend for herself." 

"I'm glad that it's you and not that sorry sailor boy of a brother he has. Pathetic if you ask me." 

Rose narrowed her eyes. "I wouldn't speak so lowly of Charlie Jones, Arthus. That boy is just as capable of providing a future for her as I am." 

"What? So she can work on his fishing vessel? C'mon Sergent, you and I both know that Renee is too pose for that lifestyle."

Rose kept her gaze firm. "I did not raise Renee to share such thoughts. I raised her to make her own decisions. With all due respect, I do not wish for her to take up a future with Pol-Tec. Especially not with her father's blood all over their hands, Arthus." 

Arthus grinned. "It wasn't my organization's fault that he died. That fell to Polonium."

"Still. She does not wish to be associated with bad memories. If you understood her circumstances, you wouldn't be here." 

"Sergent, you have no say in the girl's future." 

"That may be true but I can at least help her decide where she should go in her life. Now, if you wish to insult our way of life, I would love for you to leave." 

Arthus stood up. "Very well, Sergent. Tell Renee I would love to hear an answer from her by the end of the week. Until then, ado." 


	21. He Who Was Raised by Owls

Elvis woke up to loud music playing through a car speaker. He yawned softly. A blue haired woman turned around in her seat. "Honey, look who finally decided to wake up?"

Elvis rubbed his eyes. "Not funny, mum. I'm so sleepy." 

His mother smiled. "I know." She reached over to turn the music down. 

A pair of bright headlights shined through the windshield. Elvis heard his mom scream as another vehicle collided into them. His head smacked against the back of the seat. Metal crunching and glass breaking was the last thing he heard before he blacked out. 

Bright blue eyes shined in the dark. A rather tall owlfolk stood in the darkness. It spotted glowing embers in the distance. The owl flew towards the scene. Two cars were mangled into each other on the road. She circled around it, searching for any survivors. 

She spotted two figures in the middle of the road. The both of them were dead. She frowned. She landed next to them. She could tell they were a couple. Another figure caught her attention. There was a child laying in the back seat of a burning vehicle. She gasped. She raced over to it. She used her talons to tear open the back door. She snapped the seat belt with her beak. She grabbed the child into her wings. 

The child had a nasty gash on it's forehead. Looks like they passed out from smacking their head against something. She looks around. She used her scarf as a sling so she could carry the child. She took off into the air again. 

Elvis steadily began to come to. His head hurt. He then felt rather light weight. A pair of blue wings flapped past him. Wait? Was he being carried away by a bird? He looked up. He noticed an owl had him in a sling. He screamed. "Put me down! Where are my parents!? Mom! Dad! Help!"

The owl landed on a branch. It held Elvis in their wings. Elvis shook. "Please don't eat me." he begged. 

They wiped his tears. "Your safe. I'm afraid to say that you've had an accident. I'm not sure if those two people laying in the street were close to you but they're dead."

Elvis whimpered. "No. I didn't mean for them to get hurt. They can't be dead. Mommy was just talking to me." 

She touched his cheek. "I'm afraid they are."

"Where are you taking me?"

"To my nest. You'll be safe there." 

She laid him down in his sling again. She then flew off. Elvis held onto her. The owl smiled. She landed inside of a rather large treehouse. She set him down on her couch. "There we are. Safe and sound. Now let me see that gash." 

She gently touched his wound. Elvis winced. She bandaged it up for him. "There."

Elvis sniffed. "Thank you."

"You are most certainly welcome, my dear. Now, what is your name?"

"Elvis."

"I am Midna. I will be your caretaker from now until you no longer need me." 

Elvis nodded. He held himself. He teared up thinking about his parents. He felt like the accident was his fault. Midna offered him a plate with a sandwhich on it. He gladly took it. He munched on it quietly. Perhaps living here wasn't going to be so bad. 

Some time had passed. Elvis got used to being with Midna. Midna had become a mom to him. It still pained him to think about his parents from time to time. 

Elvis crept up on Midna who was in the process of cooking. She didn't hear Elvis' little footsteps on the tile. He giggled quietly. He got close to her. He leapt onto her back. "I got you!"

Midna dropped the pan she was holding. She accidentally knocked over some napkins which caught fire from the open flame. She wrapped her wings around Elvis. She quickly left the house. She flew them a safe distance away. She rang for the fire service. She sighed looking at Elvis. Elvis dropped his gaze. "Whoops."

"You mustn't sneak up on me while I'm cooking. That could of been very dangerous." 

"Sorry.."

She ruffled his hair with her wing gently. "It's okay. Just don't do it again."

Sirens caught their attention. A fire truck pulled up with a crew of varying species. Midna held Elvis in her wings so he wouldn't run off to interrupt them. Elvis went starry eyed. "Cool!" he shouted. 

Midna smiled. "They're brilliant aren't they?"

"Yep. I think I know what I want to be when I grow up." 

"You wanna be a firefighter?" 

Elvis nodded. "That way I won't set fires to stuff anymore." 

Midna chuckled. "Fair enough." 

Eighteen years go...

Elvis had his bags packed. He was heading to Wales to train as a firefighter. Midna walked into his room. "Ready to go?" 

Elvis nodded. He turned to face her. She touched his cheek. "I can't believe your all grown up." 

He smiled. "I'm still your little boy though." 

She pressed her forehead to his. "That you are. Please promise you'll write?"

"I will. I'll even give you a call every week to make you feel better."

She smiled. "I'd love that." 

Elvis pulled away. "Right. I'm off. Take care, mom. Thank you for everything."

"It was my pleasure. Good luck. Let me know how it goes." 

Elvis left the house. He glanced over his shoulder at it one last time. The tree had been his home ever since his parents passed away. He hated having to leave Midna by herself. 

Midna watched her son leave from the window. She waved to him. He waved back. The last of his form disappeared around the corner. The house felt empty without him in it. 


	22. Path of Lycanthropy

Malcolm steadily started to come to. He found himself on an operating table of some sort. He struggled against his bindings.

Polonium came waltzing in the room. "Good evening, Constable."

"Polonium? Let me go!" snapped Malcolm. 

Polonium held up a syringe of dark orange liquid. "I'm afraid I can't do that. I need you for a little experiment I'm working on." 

She turned his arm over so that way his vein was facing her. Malcolm yanked against his restraints. "What are you planning?" 

"Oh, you'll see." she laughed as she injected him. 

Malcolm cried out. His veins felt like they were on fire. His body quickly grew hot. Anger coursed through him. He saw red. Malcolm's bones began popping and shifting in and out of place. He cried out again in pain. He pulled even harder against his restraints.

Fangs grew out of Malcolm's mouth. His ears pointed upwards. Brown fur sprouted on his body. His clothes strained to hold his growing form. The back of his pants ripped open. A long brown tail hung out from his back side. His shirt tore in half. His pants became shorts. 

Malcolm opened his eyes. His eyes had turned a bright amber. He finished changing. He was a brown furred werewolf. His pants hung from his legs. He stared at Polonium. A deep growl escaped his lips. Polonium ran a hand underneath of his muzzle. "shh, there's no need for you to be fussy. I know the wolf in you is just desperate to have some fun." 

She put a collar and a leash on him. She freed him from his restraints. Malcolm got down on all fours. "C'mon. I know just the place for you to unleash all that anger." 

Winter paced back and forth in the station. Rose watched him. "I'm sure Malcolm is alright. He couldn't of gone far." she comforted. 

"It's not like him to just up and leave. Especially not with Polonium lurking around." countered Winter. 

A sharp howl wailed outside. The map screen inside of the station suddenly went off. Rose ran over to it. _**Crime Alert. Wolf attack near PontyPandy Forest.**_ came the electronic voice over the speaker. 

Rose pressed the alarm button. She turned to Winter. "Victim being assaulted by a wolf. You better head out there."

Winter nodded. He didn't need a taser or a baton. He had his own set of abilities. He headed for PontyPandy Forest on foot. Winter changed into his half-blood form. He put his nose to the ground. He could pick up on Mandy's scent. He also detected a large wolf nearby. 

A scream wailed through the night air. Winter picked up the pace. He spotted a dark furred wolf holding Mandy hostage against a tree. He growled. He leapt at the wolf. He bit it's shoulder. "Get off her!" he shouted. 

The wolf snarled. It turned it's head. It grabbed Winter by the leg and chucked him off it. Winter tumbled backwards. Winter stood up. He gave his head a shake. He growled lowly. The wolf locked eyes with him. It snarled back. The two of them launched themselves at each other. 

Winter grabbed onto the bottom of the wolf's throat. He held on. The wolf shook it's head from side to side. It put it's paw on Winter's hips. It tried to tear Winter off it. Winter kept his grip. He then swung his body onto the wolf's back. He bit it's scuff. The wolf whimpered in pain. It struggled to get out of Winter's grip. 

Winter held onto it for a bit until a familiar scent hit his nostrils. He let go of the wolf's scuff. "Mal?" 

The wolf darted out from underneath of Winter. It disappeared off into the trees. Winter stood there confused. Could this wolf have something to do with Malcolm? He headed back over to Mandy. Mandy was still pressed up against the tree. She was shaking. Winter poked her with his nose. Mandy wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you, Winter."

 _My pleasure. Now let's get you home._ He lowered himself to the ground. Mandy climbed up onto his back. 

Winter took Mandy home. He decided to investigate the woods. He smelled the ground. His ears kept alert to any movement near him. He could smell the wolf nearby. He followed the scent. _Why did that wolf smell so much like Malcolm?_ He wondered. _Did it attack Malcolm? Is that why he hasn't come home?  
_

A twig snapped close to Winter. He turned his head. The wolf came at him at full force. Winter gasped. It's claws went across his chest, up towards his neck. He was sent flying into a bush. Winter grunted as he hit the ground. He panted. His vision blurred in and out. 

The wolf changed back. Malcolm paled when he realized what he had done. "WINTER! Oh god! I'm sorry! Hang in there!" He picked Winter up. 

Winter slumped against his bare chest. "Mal..." 

"Shh. Don't say anything. Just keep alive for me." 

Winter closed his eyes. He blacked out. Malcolm quickly sped towards his sister's house. He got there in record time. He pounded on the door. Helen answered it. Her cheeks reddened when she saw her brother in the nude with his husband in his arms. "Help. Please." he begged. 

Helen let them inside. Malcolm laid Winter on the couch. Winter was bleeding out super quickly. Malcolm shook. He couldn't believe he had attacked Winter. Helen got to work on patching him up. She slid her brother a blanket. "Here. Cover yourself up." 

Malcolm wrapped the blanket around himself. "I'm sorry. It was a freak accident. I..I..didn't mean to claw him."

"Claw him?" questioned Helen. 

"Polonium. She turned me into a werewolf. I couldn't control it. When I saw Winter, I lashed out." stammered Malcolm. 

"I'm trying my best. His wound near his neck was reopened again. It wasn't your fault. That bitch. I wish I could stab her."

Helen finished fixing Winter up. Malcolm carefully approached him. He touched his cheek. Winter stirred under his touch. "Mal...you came home.."

"Yes. Yes I did."

"You wouldn't believe this but I got my ass beat by a dog bigger than me." rasped Winter. 

Malcolm gulped. "Winter, that was me."

Winter gasped weakly. "You mean that handsome wolf that gave me a smackdown was you?" 

Malcolm kissed Winter's forehead. Winter wagged his tail. "I forgive you. If it was another asshole, I would of ripped him to shreds."

"I don't deserve your forgiveness. I'm a horrible person."

"No your not. It was an accident. To be fair, I did assault you first."

Malcolm sighed. He hugged Winter gently. Winter leaned into his touch. "we'll work through your affliction. I'll love you. Beast and all."

Malcolm pressed his forehead to Winter's. He teared up. Winter held his mate close. 


	23. Lion's Return

Sam swiped his badge through the scanner. The scanner beeped. He pressed down on the handle to let him out of the work area. Sam had been working for Cynical for a couple of months. He was thankful for having a job despite it not being in the career field he loved dearly. He sighed as he sat down on the couch in the lounge. He took out his phone. He decided to ring Renee before he went home. 

Renee heard her tablet going off. She smiled when she saw an incoming video call from her dad. She answered it. "Daddy!" she shouted. 

"Hey kiddo. How are you?"

"I'm alright. How was work?"

"It was work. I'm getting ready to come home soon." 

"Somebody knocked on the door today. They said they wanted to talk to you."

Sam lofted an eyebrow. "Oh? Did they give a name?"

"Yeah. Somebody by the name of Arthus. They said they knew you."

Renee saw her father pale. "Are they there now?" he asked. 

"No. They're gone. Why?"

"I'll explain as soon as I get home. Just don't answer the door for them next time, okay?"

"Okay daddy."

Sam ended the call. He tapped his phone against his leg. Hoshi walked in. He frowned seeing how pale his Uncle looked. "Sup Uncle S? What's got you so pale?"

"My dad. He's found out where we live."

"So? What's so bad about that?"

"Do you realize my dad walked out on me when I was younger? He's the leader of Creakwood." 

"Well shit. Let's get going then." 

Hoshi drove his Uncle back to Cardiff. Sam fished the keys to Katryn's apartment out of his pocket. He opened the door. Parker, Celeste's cat, came out from his hiding spot. He mewed at Sam happily. "Renee? Where are you?"

A pair of feet came running down the hallway next to him. Sam turned to see his daughter running towards him. He caught her in his arms. He let out a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad your safe." 

Renee smiled. She leaned against her father's neck. Sam let go of her after a while. He sat with her on the couch. "Glad to see that my son has had a healthy upbringing." 

Sam felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He growled. He held Renee against him. "What do you want? How dare you just waltz into my house."

"That's no way to greet your father, son." sneered Arthus. "and here I thought you would be happy to see me." 

"I wouldn't be. Not after what you did to mom." 

"You're still mad about that? I'm sorry that my son came out to be a pathetic half-blood. I didn't want any part in that." 

"You still haven't answered me. What the hell do you want and why the fuck are you in my house?" growled Sam. 

Renee could sense her dad's anger. She held tightly onto him. "It's simple really. I've come to ask you to work alongside me. After all, you lost your job at the fire station, right?"

Sam clenched his fist. "I'll be damned before I work for you. Now get out!" 

Arthus frowned. "You realize that if you take this opportunity, you could have all the riches in the world. You could even give people a reason to not mess with you." 

"I am happy the way that I am. You have forgotten what it's felt like to be human." Sam stands up. "Now I'm not going to ask you again. Get. Out. Of. My. House!" 

Arthus got off the wall. He walked towards the door. "I don't know why you try to sympathize with the humans. You aren't one yourself. That worm you call a brother has just filled your head with lies."

"GET OUT!" bellowed Sam. 

"Think about it, Samuel." Arthus left the house. 

Sam sighed. He unclenched his fist. Renee trembled against his side. Sam held her close. "I'm sorry you had to see me like that."

"Scary man." she whispered. 

"Yeah. He is but he won't hurt you. Not while I'm here."

\--------------------------------

Renee watched smoke rise in the distance. She knew her father was on Juno speeding towards the horizon. Tears formed in her eyes. "DADDY!" she screamed. 

She ran towards the Ocean Rescue Center. Neptune had just arrived with her father's corpse in it. Charlie stopped her. "No Renee. Don't come any closer."

"Daddy? Daddy!" 

Charlie held his niece close. She sobbed into his side. They watched as Helen laid Sam's body down onto the table. Renee pulled away. She saw how bad her dad was. "Daddy?" 

She got no reply. She hugged his cold body. "No. Please wake up." She looked up at her Uncle. "Please tell me he's just sleeping."

Charlie shook his head. He held his brother close. Renee sobbed into her dad. 

Malcolm put Charlie into a body bag after a while. He waved the private ambulance off. Renee stood by her Uncle. Rose quietly approached them. She lowered her cap. "I must offer my condulances. I am very sorry for your loss." 

Charlie sniffed. "It's not your fault. It's that female's. I wish Polonium was the one dead in that explosion." 

Rose placed a hand on his shoulder. Charlie held Renee close to him. "S-Sergent, can I ask a favor?" 

"Of course."

"C-Can you look after Renee? You might be mentally stable enough to care for her. I'm scared I won't be there mentally for her."

Rose looked down at Renee. She knelt down to her height. "If that is what you want, then yes. I will take her under my care."

Charlie nodded. He hugged Renee one last time. Renee clung to her Uncle. She looked at Rose with a rather unsure look on her face. 

Rose took Renee out of the ORC. Renee held Rose's hand. She noticed the same man that her father was mad at a couple years pior standing by the quay. He had a wicked smile on his face. Renee whimpered. She got close to Rose. 

Rose looked up. She noticed that Renee was staring at the railing. She couldn't see what Renee was staring at. "It's a shame isn't it?" sneered Arthus. "If only your father agreed to join me. He would still be alive." 

He patted Renee's shoulder. He then walked away. Renee stood there, shaking. 


	24. in Service of Crows

The moon hung in the sky. A yellow furred bear dog paused on top of a hill. Their pink tongue rolled out of their mouth. The hill overlooked the ocean below. The dog continued walking. They approached a small gravestone. A single Gladious flower grew near it. The dog sat down. Their form glew only for a moment before taking on the shape of a human. 

Winter sat down in front of the gravestone. A sharp breeze blew suddenly. "Hey dad." he whispered. 

The youngster was still coming to terms with Sam's death. He found it hard to really move on after he found out. Winter took out a box from his bag. He placed it in front of the stone as an offering. He could see dried petals on the ground. Somebody had been leaving flowers for Sam. 

"Hard to believe you're gone. I still walk past your house sometimes expecting to still see you." 

Winter then reached into his bag again. He had the single blue flower from Sam's garden in a pot. "I brought a friend. I figured you would want somebody else to keep you company." 

Winter carefully dug out a small hole. He stuck his flower into it. He patted soil around the flower. "There. Now you have a piece of me with you too."

The wind picked up again. Winter sniffed. Tears landed on his lap. "I wish you were here. I miss hearing your voice." He bowed his head. 

Winter heard a pair of claws scrape the top of Sam's gravestone. He looked up to see a small red crow with glowing blue eyes sitting on top of it. It cawed at him softly. Winter tilted his head to the side. He'd never seen a raven with this color palette before. _Winter_. came a familiar male voice through the raven. 

Winter jumped backwards a bit. Did the raven really say his name? "Um...yes?" 

_My dear boy. I left you too soon, didn't I?_ It asked. 

"I'm sorry but do I know you?" asked Winter. 

_It's me...Sam...I sensed you near my gravestone so I came to visit._ Chirped the raven. 

Winter smiled. "I should of known." He sat down again. 

The raven hopped around a bit on the stone. _You blame yourself for my death, don't you?  
_

"No. I blame myself for not being there when it happened. I never had a chance to say goodbye. To really thank you for what you did for me." Winter's gaze fell. "I've been struggling to come to terms with what happened." 

_Winter, it wasn't your fault that you weren't there. You wouldn't of been able to have stopped Polonium. Who knows if you may of gotten hurt as well._ argued Sam. _I'm very grateful that I was able to help you. I hope one day you will accept what's happened. I think it's time to let your heart heal.  
_

"I'm scared of letting you go." 

_You may have to, Winter. Remember, it's never goodbye. It's see you soon.  
_

Winter began to tear up again. Light surrounded the raven. It flew close to him. Sam's spirit formed right in front of him. He snatched Winter up in his arms. _I am very proud of how far you have gotten in life. I was even more so when you graduated from the police academy. I'm happy that I got to see you grow up right in front of me. Please look after yourself and Malcolm.  
_

Winter sniffed. "I will."

He looked to see Sam's soul fading. Sam smiled. _Goodbye Winter. May we cross paths again one day.  
_

Winter reached out to touch him. His hand grabbed empty air. Sam's soul faded into flower petals. Winter let his hand fall onto the grass. Tears formed in his eyes again. He smiled weakly. "Goodbye dad." 

Winter wiped his tears away. He stood up. He made his way down the hill. Both of his flowers blew in the wind. A small crow lands on Sam's gravestone again. It caws at Winter's retreating back. The last of Winter's form disappears over the hill. 


	25. Birth of The Flower King

**This is not my original story. This was a story written by the brilliant, Renad. It's just been edited by me.  
**

**\- Den Moother**

Big red buses, Big Ben, and busy streets full of people. All things you could see in breathtakingly, beautiful London. Malcolm felt the early morning breeze caressing his cheeks in a flirtatious fashion on the way to St. James Park. The park was filled with flowers in full bloom and a water fountain. 

Malcolm was in London for a training course of high importance. He knew he wouldn't be there for long so took a tour of London right away. 

He stopped by a small bakery to get something to eat. The smells on the inside were irresistible. 

"Sometimes I wish I was living here." muttered Malcolm. "I do miss being in a big city." 

He noticed a blonde haired male with round, green eyes squatting near the flowers. He was holding a small book in his hands. Malcolm could tell that he was comparing notes with the wildlife in front of him. He couldn't help but stare at him. 

The man sensed that somebody was staring at him. He glanced upwards. His eyes locked with a set of brown ones. He cracked a smile. "Hello there, stranger. Taking a gander at the flowers as well?" he asked. 

Malcolm blushed. The man looked like an angel from the distance. He blinked a couple of times. "I suppose I am. I mean who doesn't love looking at the flowers?"

The man smiled sadly. "Oh you would be surprised by the fiends who do not enjoy the kiss of a simple rose." he said as he stood up. He closed his book. 

"I suppose everyone has different tastes." muttered Malcolm. He gave the man an awkward smile. 

The man tapped his legs. "Oh dear. My legs appear to have fallen asleep. Ah well. I suppose that's what I get for sitting here for almost half an hour." he mused. 

"Don't you have a flower garden in your own backyard?" asked Malcolm. 

"I do but it's only a single flower. My dear friend is waiting for me back home." replied the man. 

"Your flower is your friend?" quizzed Malcolm again. 

"All flowers are my friends. I love them very much. I only hope you enjoy them as much as I do." The male bowed gracefully. "I bid thee adieu. Oh, and welcome to London." 

As quickly as the man apppeared, he disappeared. Malcolm lofted an eyebrow. "He's very perceptive. He must be a cop." he mused quietly. 

A few years pass, Winter had gone back to PontyPandy. He woke up in the comfort of his own room. His superiors back in London were nice enough to send him to PontyPandy. He yawned tiredly. The sun hung nice and even with his window. It was about eight in the morning. Not too early, but that was fine. 

Winter walked into the bathroom. He began doing up his hair for the day. He managed to do it up in a nice ponytail. He didn't need to worry about cutting it until later. "Right, now to check up on my friend." 

Winter went to go downstairs. His outing was interrupted by the familiar shrill of a high pitched voice. "Ah so the freak returned? And mom didn't tell me?" sneered Norman. 

"Glad to see mannerisms have not changed, dear brother." Winter kept his back to him. 

"Still short in both height and temper. I can't believe you haven't grown out of that boyish blonde hair of yours, freak."

"Size and looks have no effect on who I am, but your words do. I guess I know who the childish one is now." countered Winter, a bit more aggressively than he would of liked. "Now if you excuse me, there is work I must attend to."

Winter took a step forward. "Look at me, freak! Bow to your master!" He grabbed Winter by his ponytail. 

Winter saw red briefly. He whipped around. He grabbed Norman's wrist. He pinned it to the wall. Norman called out in pain. "F-Freak! Get your hands off me!"

Winter let go of him. Norman scurried off. Winter clenched his fist. He needed some air before he went down to his father's house to see his friend. 

Malcolm stood at his usual perch near the Wholefish Cafe. It was a rather quiet day. What else was really new? The townsfolk moved up and down the street. He took a sip from his flask. He spotted somebody darting towards the beach. By their body language, he could tell they were in a huff. 

Malcolm sat his flask down on his bike. He followed after them. 

A fairly strong wind gusted the beach. Malcolm's eyes fell upon a blonde haired male with long locks blowing in the breeze. He could only see the side of his face but he could tell the man was angry. Malcolm removed his hat. He carefully approached the man. "Having a bad day, are we?" 

Winter snapped out of his thoughts. He turned his head. He spotted a tanned skinned male coming towards him. He smiled weakly. "Let's just say, I've had better." 

Malcolm stood by his side. "What seems to be the problem?" 

"Oh, just some family conflict. I had an undesirable sibling put their hand on me." 

Malcolm could see how messed up Winter's hair was from behind. "I can see that." 

"It's a dumb fight. Nothing to really concern yourself over. I don't think a man of your stature could quell my brother's rage against me." 

"He did this to you?"

Winter nodded. "My own fault, really. I keep giving him that negative attention. Despite how much I try to ignore him." 

"Don't let your brother mess up your day. It's not worth it." 

Winter kicked the sand. "It's hard when your constantly reminded of how different you are. I try so hard to fit in but it's never enough." 

"You know. You're really nice. I think he's just jealous of your kindness is all." 

"What's so nice about me? I'm a walking freak." muttered Winter. 

"The fact that you are a freak is what makes you unique. It's what makes you "you". Your brother just wishes he was as cool as you." comforted Malcolm. 

Winter blushed. "Thank you. I keep telling myself that every day. Yet, I still manage to find myself in trouble."

"would you like a hug?" asked Malcolm. 

"You know what? After the morning I've had, I may just take you up on that." 

Malcolm wrapped his arms around Winter. Winter melted into his grasp. He rested his head on Malcolm's shoulder. Winter hummed happily. He pulled away after a short while. "Thanks, that really helped."

"My pleasure. I'm Constable Malcolm Williams." 

"I'm Officer Winter Price, since we are stating names and ranks." 

The two of them lock eyes with each other for a moment. Malcolm suddenly remembered where he's seen Winter. "You're the flower guy from the park!"

Winter chuckled. "And you were the man pulling the power move with that apple strudel." 

Malcolm smirked. "Where are you heading off to now, Winter?"

"To my dad's garden. I have to make sure my little friend made it through the Summer months." Winter bowed again. "I bid thee adieu." 

"Goodbye Winter. Until we cross paths again." 


	26. Broken Flower

A light rain came down from the sky. It made the roadway somewhat slick. A pair of headlights shined through the growing fog. Winter was on his way home from his trip to London. He drove carefully as to avoid having an accident. The Bluetooth headset in his ear chirped. He tapped it. "Hello?"

 _Hey babe. How far are you out?_ asked Malcolm. 

"Heading for Newtown. Should be home in another hour or so. Why?" 

_Oh no reason. Just hadn't heard from you since you last left London.  
_

Winter chuckled. "Sorry. The reception in the mountains was ass. I'll call you when I get half-way to PontyPandy. It's raining out here. Talk to you later." 

_Take care, love. Get home in one piece.  
_

Winter hung up. He rolled his eyes. He continued his way to Newtown. 

More headlights shined in the fog. A large vehicle came barreling down the road, opposite of where Winter was. They hit a wet puddle. The driver screamed as they lost control. Winter glanced up in enough time for the vehicle to strike him. 

Winter went flying into the middle of the road. His body rolled for several feet before stopping. His whole world went black. 

Malcolm felt his phone buzzing in his pocket. He took it out. He put it on speaker. "Hello?"

_Constable Williams? This is Officer Davies. I'm calling to inform you that Winter Price was involved in an accident.  
_

Malcolm dropped the dish he was holding. "Where was the accident?" 

_The road leading into Newtown. He was struck by a large 4x4. He was found face down in the center of the road. We don't know if he sustained a head injury or not. He's being transferred to Newtown hospital now as we speak.  
_

"Let me grab our daughter and we'll head on over. Thank you so much for telling me." He hung up on Officer Davies. 

Malcolm and Gracie headed up to the hospital to see Winter. Gracie whimpered seeing her mother hooked up to the various machines keeping her alive. One side of Winter's face was all scratched up. He didn't appear to be conscious. Gracie looked up at her father. "Mom will wake up, right?" 

"Yes. She's just resting right now, kiddo." Malcolm held his daughter close. It pained him to see Winter so frail. 

Malcolm sat down at the foot of Winter's bed. He took his mate's hand. 

Winter felt somebody holding his hand. It was strange. He wasn't expecting anyone. He drew his hand back quickly. The movement only upset the pain in his shoulder. He groaned quietly. His green eyes fluttered open. He spotted a tan skinned man looking at him. His eyes narrow. "Who are you? Why are you touching me?"

A look of confusion came across Malcolm's face. "It's me, Malcolm. Don't you recognize me?" 

"Not really. No. I feel like I should though." 

Malcolm felt his heart break. He pressed the call light on the side of Winter's bed. A nurse came walking in. "is Winter's doctor around?" asked Malcolm. 

"Yes. He's out in the hallway. Did you want me to get him?" 

"Please."

She stepped out for a moment. Winter tilted his head to the side. Why was this strange man calling for his doctor? 

After about several moments, Winter's doctor came in. "I'm Doctor Tobias. I was told by Nurse Paige that you wanted to see me?" 

Malcolm nodded. "Winter appears to have lost his memory. That worries me." 

"Winter suffered a severe head injury when he had his accident." explained Doctor Tobias. "It looks like memory loss maybe a long term issue with him for a while."

Malcolm's heart tightened in his chest. "So he'll never remember us?" 

"He might after a while. We aren't sure yet. We are going to keep him this week. I've got a specialist coming in the morning."

Malcolm looked at Winter worriedly. "Thank you, doc."

Doctor Tobias stepped out of the room. Winter settled down to rest. "I still want to know what you are to me?" 

"I'm your husband." Malcolm held Gracie close. "and this smallest one is Gracie. She's our daughter."

"I have a family?" asked Winter excitedly. 

"Yes. Your mom is named Dilys. You have a sister-in law named Helen. You had a dad figure named Sam." 

"Cool." yawned Winter. "Wish I could stay awake to here all about this family." 

"Then how about I tell you a bit more until you fall asleep?" suggested Malcolm. 

"That would be grand." 

**Apologies about this oneshot being so short. This oneshot is a lead-up to a story coming out soon. I do hope you guys have enjoyed this first round of Oneshots. I'll try to do more towards the end of this year.  
**

**Thank you guys so much for the support**

**\- Den Moother**


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